Is Ninetales worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 029/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 277× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $86.00 against $0.31 raw: a $85.69 spread, 277× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($8.03) 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)
- $0.31
- PSA 10
- $86.00
- PSA 9
- $8.03
- Gem premium
- 277×
- 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 | $86.00 | +$60.69 | +$35.69 | −$64.31 |
| PSA 9 | $8.03 | −$17.28 | −$42.28 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $20.00 | −$5.31 | −$30.31 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $0.31 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% | $27.52 | −$22.79 |
| 50% | $47.02 | −$3.30 |
| 75% | $66.51 | +$16.20 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $229 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $86.00 | −$143 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $86.00 | — | $229 |
| 9 | $6.03 | $10.92 | — |
| 8 | $20.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $5.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Obsidian Flames cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ninetales — FAQ
Is Ninetales worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $86.00 against $0.31 raw: a $85.69 spread, 277× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($8.03) 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 Ninetales worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ninetales (Obsidian Flames 029/197) sells for about $86.00 versus $0.31 for a raw near-mint copy — a 277× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ninetales?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $229, ahead of PSA 10 at $86.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ninetales need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 Ninetales break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ninetales breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $8.03).
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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