Is Heat Factory ◇ worth grading?
Pokémon · Lost Thunder · 178/214 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Heat Factory ◇ sells for $500 against $2.79 raw: a $497 spread, 179× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($45.00) 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)
- $2.79
- PSA 10
- $500
- PSA 9
- $45.00
- Gem premium
- 179×
- 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 | $500 | +$472 | +$447 | +$347 |
| PSA 9 | $45.00 | +$17.21 | −$7.79 | −$108 |
| PSA 8 | $7.00 | −$20.79 | −$45.79 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $2.79 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% | $159 | +$106 |
| 50% | $272 | +$220 |
| 75% | $386 | +$333 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $500 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.03 | −$455 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $500 | $45.03 |
| 9 | $45.00 | — |
| 8 | $7.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Lost Thunder cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Heat Factory ◇ — FAQ
Is Heat Factory ◇ worth grading?
A PSA 10 Heat Factory ◇ sells for $500 against $2.79 raw: a $497 spread, 179× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($45.00) 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 Heat Factory ◇ worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Heat Factory ◇ (Lost Thunder 178/214) sells for about $500 versus $2.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 179× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Heat Factory ◇?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $500, ahead of CGC 10 at $45.03. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Heat Factory ◇ 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 Heat Factory ◇ break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Heat Factory ◇ breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $45.00).
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.
Check my card free