Is Salamence worth grading?
Pokémon · Celestial Storm · 106/168 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 613× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Salamence sells for $410 against $0.67 raw: a $410 spread, 613× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.13) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.67
- PSA 10
- $410
- PSA 9
- $22.13
- Gem premium
- 613×
- As of
- Aug 10, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $410 | +$385 | +$360 | +$260 |
| PSA 9 | $22.13 | −$3.54 | −$28.54 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $14.01 | −$11.66 | −$36.66 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $0.67 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $119 | +$68.52 |
| 50% | $216 | +$166 |
| 75% | $313 | +$263 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 7%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $645 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $63.02 | −$582 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $645 | $63.02 | — | — |
| 9 | $61.20 | $16.50 | $5.50 | $9.50 |
| 8.5 | — | $13.34 | — | — |
| 8 | $14.01 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $14.01 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $14.99 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Celestial Storm cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Salamence — FAQ
Is Salamence worth grading?
A PSA 10 Salamence sells for $410 against $0.67 raw: a $410 spread, 613× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.13) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Salamence worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Salamence (Celestial Storm 106/168) sells for about $410 versus $0.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 613× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Salamence?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $645, ahead of CGC 10 at $63.02. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Salamence need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Salamence break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Salamence breaks even when it gems about 7% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.13).
Is your Pokémon card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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