Is Charizard ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 215/197 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $193 against $22.23 raw: a $171 spread, 8.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.25) 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)
- $22.23
- PSA 10
- $193
- PSA 9
- $50.25
- Gem premium
- 8.7×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $193 | +$146 | +$121 | +$21.10 |
| PSA 9 | $50.25 | +$3.02 | −$21.98 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $29.18 | −$18.05 | −$43.05 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $22.23 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% | $86.02 | +$13.79 |
| 50% | $122 | +$49.56 |
| 75% | $158 | +$85.33 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $193 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $124 | −$69.18 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $72.58 | −$121 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $61.05 | −$132 | 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 | $193 | $72.58 | — | $61.05 | $124 | $109 |
| 9.5 | — | $33.90 | $48.47 | $38.93 | — | — |
| 9 | $50.25 | $30.09 | $38.05 | $19.64 | $40.12 | — |
| 8.5 | $50.00 | $26.81 | $21.76 | — | $38.15 | — |
| 8 | $29.18 | $10.61 | — | $10.00 | — | $30.01 |
| 7 | $29.80 | $15.23 | — | $25.00 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $14.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $18.76 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $20.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 3.5 | $80.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | — | $11.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $140 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Charizard ex — FAQ
Is Charizard ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $193 against $22.23 raw: a $171 spread, 8.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.25) 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 Charizard ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard ex (Obsidian Flames 215/197) sells for about $193 versus $22.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.7× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $193, ahead of TAG 10 at $124. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charizard 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 Charizard ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charizard ex breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $50.25).
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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