Is Articuno worth grading?
Pokémon · Journey Together · 032/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 844× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $101 against $0.12 raw: a $101 spread, 844× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.17) 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)
- $0.12
- PSA 10
- $101
- PSA 9
- $13.17
- Gem premium
- 844×
- 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 | $101 | +$76.21 | +$51.21 | −$48.79 |
| PSA 9 | $13.17 | −$11.95 | −$36.95 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $10.50 | −$14.62 | −$39.62 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $0.12 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% | $35.21 | −$14.91 |
| 50% | $57.25 | +$7.13 |
| 75% | $79.29 | +$29.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 42%. 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.
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Grading Articuno — FAQ
Is Articuno worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $101 against $0.12 raw: a $101 spread, 844× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.17) 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 $101 versus $0.12 for a raw near-mint copy — a 844× premium as of Oct 4, 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 42% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.17).
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