Is Ninetales worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 199/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.0× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $351 against $43.88 raw: a $307 spread, 8.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($54.03) 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)
- $43.88
- PSA 10
- $351
- PSA 9
- $54.03
- Gem premium
- 8.0×
- 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 | $351 | +$282 | +$257 | +$157 |
| PSA 9 | $54.03 | −$14.85 | −$39.85 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $41.09 | −$27.79 | −$52.79 | −$153 |
Net = sale price − $43.88 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% | $128 | +$34.37 |
| 50% | $202 | +$109 |
| 75% | $277 | +$183 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $443 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $351 | −$91.87 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $107 | −$336 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $23.52 | −$419 | 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 | $351 | $107 | — | $23.52 | $443 | $426 |
| 9.5 | — | $58.81 | $99.25 | $41.72 | — | — |
| 9 | $54.03 | $44.17 | $36.37 | $23.23 | $52.18 | $49.90 |
| 8.5 | $40.09 | $17.52 | $16.97 | $32.43 | — | — |
| 8 | $41.09 | $13.98 | — | $16.00 | $30.00 | $35.70 |
| 7.5 | $25.00 | $9.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $30.22 | $21.00 | — | — | — | $26.91 |
| 6 | $19.37 | — | — | — | $45.00 | — |
| 5 | $34.95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | — | $4.00 | — | — | — | — |
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 Ninetales — FAQ
Is Ninetales worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $351 against $43.88 raw: a $307 spread, 8.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($54.03) 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 Ninetales worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ninetales (Obsidian Flames 199/197) sells for about $351 versus $43.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.0× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ninetales?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $443, ahead of PSA 10 at $351. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ninetales 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 Ninetales break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ninetales breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $54.03).
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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