Is Houndstone ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 102/197 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Houndstone ex sell for $20.00, only $18.96 above the $1.04 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($9.54) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.04
- PSA 10
- $20.00
- PSA 9
- $9.54
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $20.00 | −$6.04 | −$31.04 | −$131 |
| PSA 9 | $9.54 | −$16.50 | −$41.50 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $7.02 | −$19.02 | −$44.02 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.04 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% | $12.15 | −$38.89 |
| 50% | $14.77 | −$36.27 |
| 75% | $17.38 | −$33.66 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $20.00 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $17.91 | −$2.09 | 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.
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Grading Houndstone ex — FAQ
Is Houndstone ex worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Houndstone ex sell for $20.00, only $18.96 above the $1.04 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($9.54) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Houndstone ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Houndstone ex (Obsidian Flames 102/197) sells for about $20.00 versus $1.04 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Houndstone ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $20.00, ahead of CGC 10 at $17.91. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Houndstone ex 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.
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