Is Charizard ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 196 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $279 against $3.94 raw: a $275 spread, 71× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.36) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $3.94
- PSA 10
- $279
- PSA 9
- $35.36
- Gem premium
- 71×
- 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 | $279 | +$250 | +$225 | +$125 |
| PSA 9 | $35.36 | +$6.42 | −$18.58 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $16.37 | −$12.57 | −$37.57 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $3.94 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% | $96.22 | +$42.28 |
| 50% | $157 | +$103 |
| 75% | $218 | +$164 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $279 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $128 | −$151 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| SGC 10 | $89.79 | −$189 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $49.99 | −$229 | 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 | $279 | $49.99 | — | $89.79 | $128 | $56.96 |
| 9.5 | — | $4.18 | $68.60 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $35.36 | $14.78 | $27.91 | — | $24.06 | $22.61 |
| 8.5 | — | $12.96 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $16.37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $18.48 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $14.40 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Charizard ex — FAQ
Is Charizard ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard ex sells for $279 against $3.94 raw: a $275 spread, 71× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.36) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Charizard ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard ex (Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos 196) sells for about $279 versus $3.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 71× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $279, ahead of TAG 10 at $128. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charizard ex 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 Charizard ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charizard ex breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.36).
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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