Is Vaporeon worth grading?
Pokémon · Ancient Origins · 22/98 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Vaporeon sell for $26.00, only $24.67 above the $1.33 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($43.84) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.33
- PSA 10
- $26.00
- PSA 9
- $43.84
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $26.00 | −$0.33 | −$25.33 | −$125 |
| PSA 9 | $43.84 | +$17.51 | −$7.49 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $24.93 | −$1.40 | −$26.40 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $1.33 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% | $39.38 | −$11.95 |
| 50% | $34.92 | −$16.41 |
| 75% | $30.46 | −$20.87 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $26.00 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $26.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $138 | $5.00 | $46.53 |
| 8.5 | — | $39.99 | — |
| 8 | $26.00 | $6.00 | — |
| 7 | $20.55 | — | — |
| 6 | $20.50 | — | — |
| 1 | — | $66.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Ancient Origins cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Vaporeon — FAQ
Is Vaporeon worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Vaporeon sell for $26.00, only $24.67 above the $1.33 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($43.84) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Vaporeon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Vaporeon (Ancient Origins 22/98) sells for about $26.00 versus $1.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Vaporeon 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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