Is Applin worth grading?
Pokémon · Twilight Masquerade · 185/167 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.0× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Applin sells for $99.80 against $12.50 raw: a $87.30 spread, 8.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.70) 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)
- $12.50
- PSA 10
- $99.80
- PSA 9
- $21.70
- Gem premium
- 8.0×
- 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 | $99.80 | +$62.30 | +$37.30 | −$62.70 |
| PSA 9 | $21.70 | −$15.80 | −$40.80 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $16.45 | −$21.05 | −$46.05 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $12.50 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% | $41.22 | −$21.28 |
| 50% | $60.75 | −$1.75 |
| 75% | $80.27 | +$17.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. 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 | $99.80 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $65.07 | −$34.73 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $17.70 | −$82.10 | 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 Applin — FAQ
Is Applin worth grading?
A PSA 10 Applin sells for $99.80 against $12.50 raw: a $87.30 spread, 8.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.70) 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 Applin worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Applin (Twilight Masquerade 185/167) sells for about $99.80 versus $12.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.0× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Applin?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $99.80, ahead of TAG 10 at $65.07. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Applin 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 Applin break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Applin breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.70).
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