Is Charizard-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY121 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard-EX sells for $7,020 against $185 raw: a $6,835 spread, 38× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($619) 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)
- $185
- PSA 10
- $7,020
- PSA 9
- $619
- Gem premium
- 38×
- As of
- Oct 4, 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 | $7,020 | +$6,810 | +$6,785 | +$6,685 |
| PSA 9 | $619 | +$409 | +$384 | +$284 |
| PSA 8 | $325 | +$115 | +$90.14 | −$9.86 |
Net = sale price − $185 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% | $2,219 | +$1,984 |
| 50% | $3,820 | +$3,584 |
| 75% | $5,420 | +$5,184 |
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 | $7,020 | 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.
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Grading Charizard-EX — FAQ
Is Charizard-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard-EX sells for $7,020 against $185 raw: a $6,835 spread, 38× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($619) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Charizard-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard-EX (XY Black Star Promos XY121) sells for about $7,020 versus $185 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Oct 4, 2026.
What centering does Charizard-EX 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.
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