Is Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · Darkness Ablaze · 140/189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 193× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $92.64 against $0.48 raw: a $92.16 spread, 193× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.51) 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)
- $0.48
- PSA 10
- $92.64
- PSA 9
- $20.51
- Gem premium
- 193×
- 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 | $92.64 | +$67.16 | +$42.16 | −$57.84 |
| PSA 9 | $20.51 | −$4.97 | −$29.97 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $11.91 | −$13.57 | −$38.57 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $0.48 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% | $38.54 | −$11.94 |
| 50% | $56.58 | +$6.10 |
| 75% | $74.61 | +$24.13 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $183 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $8.00 | −$175 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $183 | $8.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $20.00 | — |
| 9 | $49.17 | $29.94 | $29.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $89.00 | — |
| 8 | $13.95 | — | — |
| 7 | $6.00 | — | — |
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 Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $92.64 against $0.48 raw: a $92.16 spread, 193× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.51) 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 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (Darkness Ablaze 140/189) sells for about $92.64 versus $0.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 193× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $183, ahead of CGC 10 at $8.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 Lugia break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia breaks even when it gems about 42% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.51).
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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