Is Carmine worth grading?
Pokémon · Twilight Masquerade · 217/167 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Carmine sells for $167 against $54.63 raw: a $113 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($65.12) 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)
- $54.63
- PSA 10
- $167
- PSA 9
- $65.12
- Gem premium
- 3.1×
- 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 | $167 | +$87.50 | +$62.50 | −$37.50 |
| PSA 9 | $65.12 | −$14.51 | −$39.51 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $61.30 | −$18.33 | −$43.33 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $54.63 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% | $90.62 | −$14.01 |
| 50% | $116 | +$11.49 |
| 75% | $142 | +$37.00 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $191 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $167 | −$24.03 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $109 | −$82.56 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $98.56 | −$92.60 | 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 | $167 | $98.56 | — | $109 | $191 | $99.44 |
| 9.5 | — | $47.66 | $91.98 | $91.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $65.12 | $50.98 | $55.06 | — | $72.13 | — |
| 8.5 | $45.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $61.30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $55.20 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $61.01 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $40.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Twilight Masquerade cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Carmine — FAQ
Is Carmine worth grading?
A PSA 10 Carmine sells for $167 against $54.63 raw: a $113 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($65.12) 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 Carmine worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Carmine (Twilight Masquerade 217/167) sells for about $167 versus $54.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Carmine?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $191, ahead of PSA 10 at $167. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Carmine 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 Carmine break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Carmine breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $65.12).
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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