Is Salamence VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Darkness Ablaze · 144/189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Salamence VMAX sells for $61.41 against $3.28 raw: a $58.13 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.19) 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)
- $3.28
- PSA 10
- $61.41
- PSA 9
- $16.19
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $61.41 | +$33.13 | +$8.13 | −$91.87 |
| PSA 9 | $16.19 | −$12.09 | −$37.09 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $14.56 | −$13.72 | −$38.72 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $3.28 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% | $27.50 | −$25.79 |
| 50% | $38.80 | −$14.48 |
| 75% | $50.10 | −$3.18 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 82%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $120 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.41 | −$58.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.29 | −$89.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $24.00 | −$95.72 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $61.41 | $30.29 | $120 | $24.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $15.00 | — | $9.50 |
| 9 | $16.19 | $18.98 | $10.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $9.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $14.56 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $7.99 | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $2.25 | — | — |
| 6 | $14.50 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Darkness Ablaze cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Salamence VMAX — FAQ
Is Salamence VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Salamence VMAX sells for $61.41 against $3.28 raw: a $58.13 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.19) 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 Salamence VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Salamence VMAX (Darkness Ablaze 144/189) sells for about $61.41 versus $3.28 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Salamence VMAX?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $120, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.41. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Salamence VMAX need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Salamence VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Salamence VMAX breaks even when it gems about 82% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.19).
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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