Is Palafin worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 062/197 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Palafin sell for $10.00, only $9.77 above the $0.23 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.34) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.23
- PSA 10
- $10.00
- PSA 9
- $11.34
- Gem premium
- 43×
- As of
- Sep 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 | $10.00 | −$15.23 | −$40.23 | −$140 |
| PSA 9 | $11.34 | −$13.89 | −$38.89 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $7.93 | −$17.30 | −$42.30 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $0.23 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% | $11.00 | −$39.23 |
| 50% | $10.67 | −$39.56 |
| 75% | $10.34 | −$39.89 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $10.00 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $10.00 | best | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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 Palafin — FAQ
Is Palafin worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Palafin sell for $10.00, only $9.77 above the $0.23 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.34) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Palafin worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Palafin (Obsidian Flames 062/197) sells for about $10.00 versus $0.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 43× premium as of Sep 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Palafin?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $10.00, ahead of SGC 10 at $10.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Palafin 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.
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your Pokémon card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
