Is Charizard ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 215/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $170 against $21.55 raw: a $148 spread, 7.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($45.22) 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)
- $21.55
- PSA 10
- $170
- PSA 9
- $45.22
- Gem premium
- 7.9×
- As of
- Oct 12, 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 | $170 | +$123 | +$98.37 | −$1.63 |
| PSA 9 | $45.22 | −$1.33 | −$26.33 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $30.36 | −$16.19 | −$41.19 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $21.55 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% | $76.39 | +$4.84 |
| 50% | $108 | +$36.02 |
| 75% | $139 | +$67.20 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 21%. 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 | $170 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $124 | −$45.77 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $81.95 | −$87.97 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.90 | −$109 | 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 Charizard ex — FAQ
Is Charizard ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $170 against $21.55 raw: a $148 spread, 7.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($45.22) 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 Charizard ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard ex (Obsidian Flames 215/197) sells for about $170 versus $21.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.9× premium as of Oct 12, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $170, 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 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $45.22).
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