Is Lance's Ampharos worth grading?
Pokémon · ポケモンカード★VS · 101/141 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Lance's Ampharos sell for $612, only $0.00 above the $20,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($64.09) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $20,000
- PSA 10
- $612
- PSA 9
- $64.09
- Gem premium
- 0.0×
- 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 | $612 | −$19,413 | −$19,438 | −$19,538 |
| PSA 9 | $64.09 | −$19,961 | −$19,986 | −$20,086 |
| PSA 8 | $24.74 | −$20,000 | −$20,025 | −$20,125 |
Net = sale price − $20,000 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% | $201 | −$19,849 |
| 50% | $338 | −$19,712 |
| 75% | $475 | −$19,575 |
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 | $612 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $550 | −$61.79 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $86.00 | −$526 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $612 | $86.00 | $550 |
| 9 | $64.09 | $63.73 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $79.93 | — |
| 8 | $24.74 | $140 | — |
| 7 | $47.79 | — | — |
| 6 | $11.01 | $51.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other ポケモンカード★VS cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Lance's Ampharos — FAQ
Is Lance's Ampharos worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Lance's Ampharos sell for $612, only $0.00 above the $20,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($64.09) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Lance's Ampharos worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lance's Ampharos (ポケモンカード★VS 101/141) sells for about $612 versus $20,000 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.0× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lance's Ampharos?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $612, ahead of TAG 10 at $550. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lance's Ampharos 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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