Is Gyarados VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Evolving Skies · 029/203 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 12× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gyarados VMAX sells for $111 against $9.19 raw: a $102 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($30.95) 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)
- $9.19
- PSA 10
- $111
- PSA 9
- $30.95
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $111 | +$77.04 | +$52.04 | −$47.96 |
| PSA 9 | $30.95 | −$3.24 | −$28.24 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $19.36 | −$14.83 | −$39.83 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $9.19 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% | $51.02 | −$8.17 |
| 50% | $71.09 | +$11.90 |
| 75% | $91.16 | +$31.97 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 35%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $127 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $111 | −$15.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $99.77 | −$26.97 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $37.44 | −$89.30 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $111 | $37.44 | $99.77 | $127 | $67.58 |
| 9.5 | — | $29.90 | $79.70 | — | — |
| 9 | $30.95 | $9.90 | — | — | $37.62 |
| 8.5 | — | $14.16 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $19.36 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $19.86 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $14.95 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $13.00 | $9.99 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Evolving Skies cards worth checking
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Grading Gyarados VMAX — FAQ
Is Gyarados VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gyarados VMAX sells for $111 against $9.19 raw: a $102 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($30.95) 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 Gyarados VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gyarados VMAX (Evolving Skies 029/203) sells for about $111 versus $9.19 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gyarados VMAX?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $127, ahead of PSA 10 at $111. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gyarados VMAX need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 Gyarados VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gyarados VMAX breaks even when it gems about 35% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $30.95).
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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