Is Charizard ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 228/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.0× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $283 against $31.29 raw: a $252 spread, 9.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($49.41) 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)
- $31.29
- PSA 10
- $283
- PSA 9
- $49.41
- Gem premium
- 9.0×
- As of
- Oct 11, 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 | $283 | +$227 | +$202 | +$102 |
| PSA 9 | $49.41 | −$6.88 | −$31.88 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $46.63 | −$9.66 | −$34.66 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $31.29 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% | $108 | +$26.49 |
| 50% | $166 | +$84.85 |
| 75% | $225 | +$143 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $283 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $235 | −$47.39 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $121 | −$161 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $109 | −$174 | 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 $283 against $31.29 raw: a $252 spread, 9.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($49.41) 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 228/197) sells for about $283 versus $31.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.0× premium as of Oct 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $283, ahead of TAG 10 at $235. 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 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.41).
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