Is Empoleon worth grading?
Pokémon · BREAKthrough · 38/162 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 97× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Empoleon sells for $150 against $1.54 raw: a $148 spread, 97× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.59) 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)
- $1.54
- PSA 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $20.59
- Gem premium
- 97×
- 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 | $150 | +$123 | +$97.99 | −$2.01 |
| PSA 9 | $20.59 | −$5.95 | −$30.95 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $6.87 | −$19.67 | −$44.67 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.54 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% | $52.83 | +$1.29 |
| 50% | $85.06 | +$33.52 |
| 75% | $117 | +$65.75 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $150 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $65.00 | — |
| 9 | $28.04 | $2.25 |
| 8 | $7.97 | — |
| 7 | $11.49 | — |
| 6 | $10.00 | $8.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other BREAKthrough cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Empoleon — FAQ
Is Empoleon worth grading?
A PSA 10 Empoleon sells for $150 against $1.54 raw: a $148 spread, 97× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.59) 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 Empoleon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Empoleon (BREAKthrough 38/162) sells for about $150 versus $1.54 for a raw near-mint copy — a 97× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Empoleon 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 Empoleon break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Empoleon breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.59).
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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