Is Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Up · 131/181 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $979 against $18.76 raw: a $960 spread, 52× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($58.76) 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)
- $18.76
- PSA 10
- $979
- PSA 9
- $58.76
- Gem premium
- 52×
- 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 | $979 | +$935 | +$910 | +$810 |
| PSA 9 | $58.76 | +$15.00 | −$10.00 | −$110 |
| PSA 8 | $49.70 | +$5.94 | −$19.06 | −$119 |
Net = sale price − $18.76 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% | $289 | +$220 |
| 50% | $519 | +$450 |
| 75% | $749 | +$680 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $979 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $202 | −$777 | 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 | $427 | $202 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $153 | — | — |
| 9 | $213 | $59.71 | $47.00 | $83.98 |
| 8.5 | — | $8.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $16.78 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $19.92 | — | — |
| 7 | $19.91 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Team Up cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $979 against $18.76 raw: a $960 spread, 52× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($58.76) 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 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (Team Up 131/181) sells for about $979 versus $18.76 for a raw near-mint copy — a 52× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $979, ahead of CGC 10 at $202. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 Lugia break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $58.76).
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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