Is Houndoom worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 133/197 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Houndoom sells for $114 against $0.13 raw: a $114 spread, 877× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.83) 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)
- $0.13
- PSA 10
- $114
- PSA 9
- $39.83
- Gem premium
- 877×
- 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 | $114 | +$88.87 | +$63.87 | −$36.13 |
| PSA 9 | $39.83 | +$14.70 | −$10.30 | −$110 |
| PSA 8 | $6.00 | −$19.13 | −$44.13 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $0.13 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% | $58.37 | +$8.24 |
| 50% | $76.91 | +$26.78 |
| 75% | $95.46 | +$45.33 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $114 | best | 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 |
|---|---|
| 10 | $114 |
| 9 | $39.83 |
| 8 | $6.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Obsidian Flames cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Houndoom — FAQ
Is Houndoom worth grading?
A PSA 10 Houndoom sells for $114 against $0.13 raw: a $114 spread, 877× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.83) 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 Houndoom worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Houndoom (Obsidian Flames 133/197) sells for about $114 versus $0.13 for a raw near-mint copy — a 877× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Houndoom 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 Houndoom break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Houndoom breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $39.83).
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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