Is Charizard-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY17 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard-EX sells for $2,916 against $34.91 raw: a $2,881 spread, 84× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($244) 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)
- $34.91
- PSA 10
- $2,916
- PSA 9
- $244
- Gem premium
- 84×
- 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 | $2,916 | +$2,856 | +$2,831 | +$2,731 |
| PSA 9 | $244 | +$184 | +$159 | +$59.30 |
| PSA 8 | $87.48 | +$27.57 | +$2.57 | −$97.43 |
Net = sale price − $34.91 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% | $912 | +$827 |
| 50% | $1,580 | +$1,495 |
| 75% | $2,248 | +$2,163 |
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 | $2,916 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $427 | −$2,489 | 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 | BGS | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $674 | — | — | $427 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $70.00 | $7,000 | — | — |
| 9 | $122 | $60.00 | $110 | — | — |
| 8.5 | $49.00 | $64.99 | — | $28.00 | — |
| 8 | $43.93 | $33.65 | $65.00 | — | $76.43 |
| 7.5 | $90.00 | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $24.89 | $14.00 | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $25.70 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $8.99 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $24.00 | $20.57 | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $25.00 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $21.98 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $36.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 2.5 | $15.00 | $16.82 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $18.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $37.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other XY Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charizard-EX — FAQ
Is Charizard-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard-EX sells for $2,916 against $34.91 raw: a $2,881 spread, 84× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($244) 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 XY17) sells for about $2,916 versus $34.91 for a raw near-mint copy — a 84× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard-EX?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,916, ahead of SGC 10 at $427. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
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.
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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