Is Charizard ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 223/197 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $752 against $110 raw: a $642 spread, 6.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($152) 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)
- $110
- PSA 10
- $752
- PSA 9
- $152
- Gem premium
- 6.9×
- As of
- Aug 18, 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 | $752 | +$617 | +$592 | +$492 |
| PSA 9 | $152 | +$17.14 | −$7.86 | −$108 |
| PSA 8 | $113 | −$21.24 | −$46.24 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $110 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% | $302 | +$142 |
| 50% | $452 | +$292 |
| 75% | $602 | +$442 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $752 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $746 | −$6.43 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| SGC 10 | $304 | −$448 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $283 | −$469 | 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 | $752 | $283 | — | $304 | $746 | $347 |
| 9.5 | — | $145 | $324 | $154 | — | — |
| 9 | $152 | $125 | $142 | $104 | $160 | $116 |
| 8.5 | $120 | $104 | $70.60 | $39.19 | $110 | — |
| 8 | $113 | $83.01 | $51.00 | $87.00 | $108 | $97.95 |
| 7.5 | — | $51.80 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $98.26 | $40.00 | — | — | $110 | $94.03 |
| 6 | $95.50 | $77.68 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $67.20 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $55.09 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $81.60 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $43.66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $64.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $79.82 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $156 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 $752 against $110 raw: a $642 spread, 6.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($152) 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 223/197) sells for about $752 versus $110 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.9× premium as of Aug 18, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $752, ahead of TAG 10 at $746. 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 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $152).
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.
Check my card free