Is Altaria worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 134/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 1100× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Altaria sells for $110 against $0.10 raw: a $110 spread, 1100× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.95) 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)
- $0.10
- PSA 10
- $110
- PSA 9
- $14.95
- Gem premium
- 1100×
- 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 | $110 | +$84.89 | +$59.89 | −$40.11 |
| PSA 9 | $14.95 | −$10.15 | −$35.15 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $7.50 | −$17.60 | −$42.60 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $0.10 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% | $38.71 | −$11.39 |
| 50% | $62.47 | +$12.37 |
| 75% | $86.23 | +$36.13 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 37%. 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 | $110 | 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 →| Grade | PSA |
|---|---|
| 10 | $110 |
| 9 | $14.95 |
| 8 | $7.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Surging Sparks cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Altaria — FAQ
Is Altaria worth grading?
A PSA 10 Altaria sells for $110 against $0.10 raw: a $110 spread, 1100× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.95) 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 Altaria worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Altaria (Surging Sparks 134/191) sells for about $110 versus $0.10 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1100× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Altaria 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 Altaria break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Altaria breaks even when it gems about 37% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.95).
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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