Is Salamence-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY170 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Salamence-EX sells for $409 against $14.95 raw: a $394 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($64.36) 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)
- $14.95
- PSA 10
- $409
- PSA 9
- $64.36
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $409 | +$369 | +$344 | +$244 |
| PSA 9 | $64.36 | +$24.41 | −$0.59 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $50.00 | +$10.05 | −$14.95 | −$115 |
Net = sale price − $14.95 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% | $150 | +$85.50 |
| 50% | $237 | +$172 |
| 75% | $323 | +$258 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $409 | 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 |
|---|---|
| 10 | $409 |
| 9 | $64.36 |
| 8 | $50.00 |
| 7 | $27.49 |
| 5 | $19.99 |
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 Salamence-EX — FAQ
Is Salamence-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Salamence-EX sells for $409 against $14.95 raw: a $394 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($64.36) 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 Salamence-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Salamence-EX (XY Black Star Promos XY170) sells for about $409 versus $14.95 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Salamence-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.
What gem rate makes grading Salamence-EX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Salamence-EX breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $64.36).
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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