Is Houndoom V worth grading?
Pokémon · Darkness Ablaze · 021/189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 35× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Houndoom V sells for $74.51 against $2.14 raw: a $72.37 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.02) 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)
- $2.14
- PSA 10
- $74.51
- PSA 9
- $21.02
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $74.51 | +$47.37 | +$22.37 | −$77.63 |
| PSA 9 | $21.02 | −$6.12 | −$31.12 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $11.00 | −$16.14 | −$41.14 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $2.14 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% | $34.39 | −$17.75 |
| 50% | $47.77 | −$4.38 |
| 75% | $61.14 | +$9.00 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $74.51 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $14.60 | −$59.91 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $10.00 | −$64.51 | 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.
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Grading Houndoom V — FAQ
Is Houndoom V worth grading?
A PSA 10 Houndoom V sells for $74.51 against $2.14 raw: a $72.37 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.02) 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 Houndoom V worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Houndoom V (Darkness Ablaze 021/189) sells for about $74.51 versus $2.14 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Houndoom V?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $74.51, ahead of CGC 10 at $14.60. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Houndoom V 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 Houndoom V break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Houndoom V breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.02).
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