Is Salamence ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Journey Together · 187/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Salamence ex sells for $256 against $51.94 raw: a $204 spread, 4.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($59.40) 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)
- $51.94
- PSA 10
- $256
- PSA 9
- $59.40
- Gem premium
- 4.9×
- As of
- Oct 4, 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 | $256 | +$179 | +$154 | +$53.77 |
| PSA 9 | $59.40 | −$17.54 | −$42.54 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $57.17 | −$19.77 | −$44.77 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $51.94 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% | $108 | +$6.54 |
| 50% | $158 | +$55.62 |
| 75% | $207 | +$105 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 22%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $262 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $256 | −$6.73 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $220 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $97.60 | −$165 | 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.
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Grading Salamence ex — FAQ
Is Salamence ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Salamence ex sells for $256 against $51.94 raw: a $204 spread, 4.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($59.40) 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 187/159) sells for about $256 versus $51.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.9× premium as of Oct 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Salamence ex?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $262, ahead of PSA 10 at $256. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Salamence ex need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 22% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $59.40).
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