Is Absol ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 214/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 33× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Absol ex sells for $82.71 against $2.47 raw: a $80.24 spread, 33× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.04) 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)
- $2.47
- PSA 10
- $82.71
- PSA 9
- $20.04
- Gem premium
- 33×
- 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 | $82.71 | +$55.24 | +$30.24 | −$69.76 |
| PSA 9 | $20.04 | −$7.43 | −$32.43 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $15.80 | −$11.67 | −$36.67 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $2.47 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% | $35.71 | −$16.76 |
| 50% | $51.38 | −$1.09 |
| 75% | $67.04 | +$14.57 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. 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 | $82.71 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $59.83 | −$22.88 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $15.03 | −$67.68 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $13.49 | −$69.22 | 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 Absol ex — FAQ
Is Absol ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Absol ex sells for $82.71 against $2.47 raw: a $80.24 spread, 33× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.04) 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 Absol ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Absol ex (Obsidian Flames 214/197) sells for about $82.71 versus $2.47 for a raw near-mint copy — a 33× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Absol ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $82.71, ahead of TAG 10 at $59.83. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Absol 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.
What gem rate makes grading Absol ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Absol ex breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.04).
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