Is Team Rocket's Zapdos worth grading?
Pokémon · Destined Rivals · 070/182 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Team Rocket's Zapdos sell for $128, only $13.62 above the $115 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.57) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $115
- PSA 10
- $128
- PSA 9
- $21.57
- Gem premium
- 1.1×
- 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 | −$11.38 | −$36.38 | −$136 |
| PSA 9 | $21.57 | −$118 | −$143 | −$243 |
| PSA 8 | $13.89 | −$126 | −$151 | −$251 |
Net = sale price − $115 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% | $48.26 | −$116 |
| 50% | $74.94 | −$89.76 |
| 75% | $102 | −$63.07 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $142 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $139 | −$2.47 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $121 | −$21.09 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $39.91 | −$102 | 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 | $115 | $30.06 | $121 | $100 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $10.53 | $51.58 | — | — |
| 9 | $27.18 | $36.32 | — | — | $26.92 |
| 8.5 | $20.00 | — | — | $25.00 | — |
| 8 | $13.89 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $19.98 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $12.45 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Full set checklist →
Grading Team Rocket's Zapdos — FAQ
Is Team Rocket's Zapdos worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Team Rocket's Zapdos sell for $128, only $13.62 above the $115 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.57) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Team Rocket's Zapdos worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Team Rocket's Zapdos (Destined Rivals 070/182) sells for about $128 versus $115 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Team Rocket's Zapdos?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $142, ahead of PSA 10 at $139. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Team Rocket's Zapdos need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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.
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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