Is Steelix worth grading?
Pokémon · Celestial Storm · 89/168 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Steelix sells for $80.00 against $2.81 raw: a $77.19 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.50) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.81
- PSA 10
- $80.00
- PSA 9
- $44.50
- Gem premium
- 28×
- 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 | $80.00 | +$52.19 | +$27.19 | −$72.81 |
| PSA 9 | $44.50 | +$16.69 | −$8.31 | −$108 |
| PSA 8 | $14.96 | −$12.85 | −$37.85 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $2.81 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% | $53.38 | +$0.56 |
| 50% | $62.25 | +$9.44 |
| 75% | $71.13 | +$18.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 23%. 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 | $80.00 | best | 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 |
|---|---|
| 10 | $80.00 |
| 9 | $49.75 |
| 8 | $14.96 |
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 Steelix — FAQ
Is Steelix worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steelix sells for $80.00 against $2.81 raw: a $77.19 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.50) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Steelix worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steelix (Celestial Storm 89/168) sells for about $80.00 versus $2.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 28× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Steelix 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 Steelix break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steelix breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.50).
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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