Is Darkrai worth grading?
Pokémon · Darkness Ablaze · 105/189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 389× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Darkrai sells for $525 against $1.35 raw: a $524 spread, 389× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.85) 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)
- $1.35
- PSA 10
- $525
- PSA 9
- $10.85
- Gem premium
- 389×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $525 | +$499 | +$474 | +$374 |
| PSA 9 | $10.85 | −$15.50 | −$40.50 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $14.78 | −$11.57 | −$36.57 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.35 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% | $139 | +$88.04 |
| 50% | $268 | +$217 |
| 75% | $396 | +$345 |
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 | $525 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $200 | −$325 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $14.64 | −$510 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $112 | $6.00 | $200 |
| 9.5 | — | $5.50 | — |
| 9 | $30.00 | $8.26 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $15.00 | — |
| 8 | $14.78 | — | — |
| 7 | $9.39 | — | — |
| 6 | $8.00 | — | — |
| 4 | $8.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Darkness Ablaze cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Darkrai — FAQ
Is Darkrai worth grading?
A PSA 10 Darkrai sells for $525 against $1.35 raw: a $524 spread, 389× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.85) 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 Darkrai worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darkrai (Darkness Ablaze 105/189) sells for about $525 versus $1.35 for a raw near-mint copy — a 389× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Darkrai?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $525, ahead of TAG 10 at $200. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Darkrai 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 Darkrai break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Darkrai breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.85).
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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