Is Team Rocket's Articuno worth grading?
Pokémon · Destined Rivals · 051/182 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 440× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Team Rocket's Articuno sells for $128 against $0.29 raw: a $127 spread, 440× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.64) 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)
- $0.29
- PSA 10
- $128
- PSA 9
- $20.64
- Gem premium
- 440×
- 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 | $128 | +$102 | +$77.39 | −$22.61 |
| PSA 9 | $20.64 | −$4.65 | −$29.65 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $16.99 | −$8.30 | −$33.30 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $0.29 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% | $47.40 | −$2.89 |
| 50% | $74.16 | +$23.87 |
| 75% | $101 | +$50.63 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $128 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $118 | −$10.18 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $28.66 | −$99.02 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $75.00 | $28.66 | — | $118 | $52.23 |
| 9.5 | — | $16.29 | $45.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $33.11 | $29.77 | — | $59.99 | $13.34 |
| 8.5 | — | $21.00 | $1.75 | — | — |
| 8 | $8.00 | $13.00 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | — | — | $10.00 | — |
| 7 | $7.72 | $13.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $15.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $26.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Team Rocket's Articuno — FAQ
Is Team Rocket's Articuno worth grading?
A PSA 10 Team Rocket's Articuno sells for $128 against $0.29 raw: a $127 spread, 440× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.64) 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 Team Rocket's Articuno worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Team Rocket's Articuno (Destined Rivals 051/182) sells for about $128 versus $0.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 440× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Team Rocket's Articuno?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $128, ahead of TAG 10 at $118. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Team Rocket's Articuno 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 Team Rocket's Articuno break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Team Rocket's Articuno breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.64).
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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