Is Salamence ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Journey Together · 187/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.6× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Salamence ex sells for $268 against $58.52 raw: a $210 spread, 4.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($55.78) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $58.52
- PSA 10
- $268
- PSA 9
- $55.78
- Gem premium
- 4.6×
- 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 | $268 | +$185 | +$160 | +$59.53 |
| PSA 9 | $55.78 | −$27.74 | −$52.74 | −$153 |
| PSA 8 | $55.88 | −$27.64 | −$52.64 | −$153 |
Net = sale price − $58.52 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% | $109 | +$0.33 |
| 50% | $162 | +$53.40 |
| 75% | $215 | +$106 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $293 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $268 | −$24.98 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $249 | −$44.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $105 | −$188 | 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 | $268 | $105 | — | $249 | $293 | $138 |
| 9.5 | — | $68.63 | $86.52 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $55.78 | $62.55 | $59.29 | $68.00 | $73.76 | $77.62 |
| 8.5 | $75.07 | $79.50 | $51.00 | — | $53.95 | — |
| 8 | $55.88 | $46.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $45.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $51.30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $48.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $63.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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 $268 against $58.52 raw: a $210 spread, 4.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($55.78) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. 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 $268 versus $58.52 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Salamence ex?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $293, ahead of PSA 10 at $268. 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 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $55.78).
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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