Is Salamence ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Journey Together · 114/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 86× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Salamence ex sells for $54.10 against $0.63 raw: a $53.47 spread, 86× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.28) 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)
- $0.63
- PSA 10
- $54.10
- PSA 9
- $15.28
- Gem premium
- 86×
- 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 | $54.10 | +$28.47 | +$3.47 | −$96.53 |
| PSA 9 | $15.28 | −$10.35 | −$35.35 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $12.19 | −$13.44 | −$38.44 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $0.63 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% | $24.98 | −$25.64 |
| 50% | $34.69 | −$15.94 |
| 75% | $44.40 | −$6.23 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 91%. 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 | $54.10 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $20.00 | −$34.10 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $13.28 | −$40.82 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $54.10 | $13.28 | $20.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $22.00 | — |
| 9 | $15.28 | $21.44 | — |
| 8.5 | $13.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $12.19 | — | — |
| 6 | $8.60 | — | — |
| 5 | $399 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Journey Together cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Salamence ex — FAQ
Is Salamence ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Salamence ex sells for $54.10 against $0.63 raw: a $53.47 spread, 86× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.28) 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 Salamence ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Salamence ex (Journey Together 114/159) sells for about $54.10 versus $0.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 86× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Salamence ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $54.10, ahead of TAG 10 at $20.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Salamence ex 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 Salamence ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Salamence ex breaks even when it gems about 91% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.28).
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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