Is Kabu worth grading?
Pokémon · Darkness Ablaze · 186/189 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Kabu sell for $19.64, only $18.35 above the $1.29 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($17.08) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.29
- PSA 10
- $19.64
- PSA 9
- $17.08
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $19.64 | −$6.65 | −$31.65 | −$132 |
| PSA 9 | $17.08 | −$9.21 | −$34.21 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.29 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% | $17.72 | −$33.57 |
| 50% | $18.36 | −$32.93 |
| 75% | $19.00 | −$32.29 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $19.64 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $9.42 | −$10.22 | 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 | $19.64 | $9.42 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | $5.00 |
| 9 | $17.08 | $10.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $1,000 | — |
| 7 | $7.67 | — | — |
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 Kabu — FAQ
Is Kabu worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Kabu sell for $19.64, only $18.35 above the $1.29 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($17.08) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Kabu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kabu (Darkness Ablaze 186/189) sells for about $19.64 versus $1.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kabu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $19.64, ahead of CGC 10 at $9.42. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kabu 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.
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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