Is Articuno worth grading?
Pokémon · Journey Together · 161/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $272 against $20.37 raw: a $252 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.61) 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)
- $20.37
- PSA 10
- $272
- PSA 9
- $41.61
- Gem premium
- 13×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $272 | +$227 | +$202 | +$102 |
| PSA 9 | $41.61 | −$3.76 | −$28.76 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $21.13 | −$24.24 | −$49.24 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $20.37 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% | $99.20 | +$28.83 |
| 50% | $157 | +$86.43 |
| 75% | $214 | +$144 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 | $272 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $261 | −$10.94 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| SGC 10 | $146 | −$126 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $99.18 | −$173 | 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 | $272 | $99.18 | — | $146 | $261 | $115 |
| 9.5 | — | $33.00 | $83.51 | $25.61 | — | — |
| 9 | $41.61 | $28.13 | $35.73 | $28.14 | $46.23 | $28.10 |
| 8.5 | $22.00 | $20.18 | — | — | $19.67 | — |
| 8 | $21.13 | $25.47 | — | $16.00 | $20.00 | $22.08 |
| 7.5 | $71.00 | $15.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $26.45 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $17.77 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $12.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Articuno — FAQ
Is Articuno worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $272 against $20.37 raw: a $252 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.61) 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 Articuno worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Articuno (Journey Together 161/159) sells for about $272 versus $20.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Articuno?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $272, ahead of TAG 10 at $261. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Articuno 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 Articuno break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Articuno breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $41.61).
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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