Is Articuno worth grading?
Pokémon · Journey Together · 032/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 849× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $93.34 against $0.11 raw: a $93.23 spread, 849× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.36) 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)
- $0.11
- PSA 10
- $93.34
- PSA 9
- $9.36
- Gem premium
- 849×
- 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 | $93.34 | +$68.23 | +$43.23 | −$56.77 |
| PSA 9 | $9.36 | −$15.75 | −$40.75 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $0.11 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% | $30.36 | −$19.75 |
| 50% | $51.35 | +$1.24 |
| 75% | $72.34 | +$22.23 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $200 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| PSA 10 | $200 | −$0.04 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $200 | $200 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $30.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $13.01 | $10.58 | $4.25 | — |
| 7.5 | — | — | — | $9.85 |
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 Articuno — FAQ
Is Articuno worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $93.34 against $0.11 raw: a $93.23 spread, 849× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.36) 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 032/159) sells for about $93.34 versus $0.11 for a raw near-mint copy — a 849× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Articuno?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $200, ahead of PSA 10 at $200. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Articuno need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $9.36).
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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