Is Gloom worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 198/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gloom sells for $300 against $22.52 raw: a $278 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.29) 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)
- $22.52
- PSA 10
- $300
- PSA 9
- $40.29
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $300 | +$253 | +$228 | +$128 |
| PSA 9 | $40.29 | −$7.23 | −$32.23 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $27.05 | −$20.47 | −$45.47 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $22.52 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% | $105 | +$32.79 |
| 50% | $170 | +$97.81 |
| 75% | $235 | +$163 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $302 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $300 | −$1.74 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.54 | −$220 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.33 | −$268 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $300 | $82.54 | — | $34.33 | $302 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $51.29 | $38.00 | $16.69 | — | — |
| 9 | $40.29 | $26.37 | $22.96 | $26.57 | $35.03 | $29.98 |
| 8.5 | $34.02 | $18.41 | — | $17.21 | $50.00 | — |
| 8 | $27.05 | $17.84 | — | $11.00 | — | $33.09 |
| 7.5 | — | $23.02 | $20.00 | — | $25.00 | — |
| 7 | $22.92 | $8.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $15.08 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $63.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Gloom — FAQ
Is Gloom worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gloom sells for $300 against $22.52 raw: a $278 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.29) 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 Gloom worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gloom (Obsidian Flames 198/197) sells for about $300 versus $22.52 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gloom?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $302, ahead of PSA 10 at $300. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gloom 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.
What gem rate makes grading Gloom break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gloom breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.29).
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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