Is Ninetales worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 017/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 765× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $130 against $0.17 raw: a $130 spread, 765× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($2.00) 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)
- $0.17
- PSA 10
- $130
- PSA 9
- $2.00
- Gem premium
- 765×
- 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 | $130 | +$105 | +$79.82 | −$20.18 |
| PSA 9 | $2.00 | −$23.17 | −$48.17 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $17.79 | −$7.38 | −$32.38 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $0.17 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% | $34.00 | −$16.17 |
| 50% | $66.00 | +$15.83 |
| 75% | $97.99 | +$47.82 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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 | $75.00 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $50.00 | −$25.00 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
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 Ninetales — FAQ
Is Ninetales worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $130 against $0.17 raw: a $130 spread, 765× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($2.00) 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 (Surging Sparks 017/191) sells for about $130 versus $0.17 for a raw near-mint copy — a 765× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ninetales?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $75.00, ahead of TAG 10 at $50.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ninetales 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 Ninetales break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ninetales breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $2.00).
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