Is Skarmory-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · XY · 145/146 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A BGS 9 Skarmory-EX sells for $158 against $44.64 raw: a $113 spread, 3.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.15) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $44.64
- BGS 9
- $158
- PSA 9
- $72.15
- Gem premium
- 3.5×
- 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 — BGS 9 | $158 | +$87.86 | +$62.86 | −$37.14 |
| PSA 9 | $72.15 | +$2.51 | −$22.49 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $24.26 | −$45.38 | −$70.38 | −$170 |
Net = sale price − $44.64 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% | $93.49 | −$1.15 |
| 50% | $115 | +$20.19 |
| 75% | $136 | +$41.52 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | $72.15 | $69.99 | $158 |
| 8.5 | — | $49.99 | $115 |
| 8 | $24.26 | $27.31 | $103 |
| 7.5 | — | $13.50 | — |
| 7 | $13.00 | $20.00 | — |
| 6 | $28.94 | — | — |
| 5 | $18.27 | — | — |
| 1 | $20.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Skarmory-EX — FAQ
Is Skarmory-EX worth grading?
A BGS 9 Skarmory-EX sells for $158 against $44.64 raw: a $113 spread, 3.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.15) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading Skarmory-EX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Skarmory-EX breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $72.15).
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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