Is Skarmory worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 209/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Skarmory sells for $132 against $9.95 raw: a $122 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.56) 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)
- $9.95
- PSA 10
- $132
- PSA 9
- $22.56
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $132 | +$97.34 | +$72.34 | −$27.66 |
| PSA 9 | $22.56 | −$12.39 | −$37.39 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $16.02 | −$18.93 | −$43.93 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $9.95 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% | $49.99 | −$9.96 |
| 50% | $77.42 | +$17.47 |
| 75% | $105 | +$44.91 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 34%. 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 | $132 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $119 | −$13.08 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $54.47 | −$77.82 | 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 | $132 | $54.47 | — | — | $119 | $62.44 |
| 9.5 | — | $28.44 | $22.32 | $12.88 | — | — |
| 9 | $22.56 | $15.17 | $15.34 | $9.00 | $25.29 | $25.30 |
| 8.5 | — | $15.00 | — | — | $27.73 | — |
| 8 | $16.02 | $9.03 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $8.00 | — | — | $9.95 | — |
| 7 | $10.66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $6.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Skarmory — FAQ
Is Skarmory worth grading?
A PSA 10 Skarmory sells for $132 against $9.95 raw: a $122 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.56) 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 Skarmory worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Skarmory (Surging Sparks 209/191) sells for about $132 versus $9.95 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Skarmory?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $132, ahead of TAG 10 at $119. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Skarmory 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 Skarmory break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Skarmory breaks even when it gems about 34% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.56).
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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