Is Zapdos worth grading?
Pokémon · Roaring Skies · 23/108 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 235× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Zapdos sells for $200 against $0.85 raw: a $199 spread, 235× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.93) 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)
- $0.85
- PSA 10
- $200
- PSA 9
- $19.93
- Gem premium
- 235×
- 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 | $200 | +$174 | +$149 | +$49.15 |
| PSA 9 | $19.93 | −$5.92 | −$30.92 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $31.80 | +$5.95 | −$19.05 | −$119 |
Net = sale price − $0.85 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% | $64.95 | +$14.10 |
| 50% | $110 | +$59.12 |
| 75% | $155 | +$104 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $200 | best | 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 | SGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $200 | — | — |
| 9 | $23.16 | $12.00 | $4.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $6.01 | — |
| 8 | $15.71 | — | — |
| 7 | $15.02 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Roaring Skies cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Zapdos — FAQ
Is Zapdos worth grading?
A PSA 10 Zapdos sells for $200 against $0.85 raw: a $199 spread, 235× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.93) 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 Zapdos worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Zapdos (Roaring Skies 23/108) sells for about $200 versus $0.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 235× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Zapdos 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 Zapdos break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Zapdos breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.93).
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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