Is Darkrai worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY194 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Darkrai sells for $258 against $28.24 raw: a $230 spread, 9.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($191) 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)
- $28.24
- PSA 10
- $258
- PSA 9
- $191
- Gem premium
- 9.1×
- 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 | $258 | +$205 | +$180 | +$79.99 |
| PSA 9 | $191 | +$138 | +$113 | +$12.54 |
| PSA 8 | $58.03 | +$4.79 | −$20.21 | −$120 |
Net = sale price − $28.24 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% | $208 | +$129 |
| 50% | $225 | +$146 |
| 75% | $241 | +$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 | $258 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $258 | — | — |
| 9 | $191 | — | $66.00 |
| 8 | $58.03 | $39.01 | — |
| 7 | $69.73 | — | — |
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 Darkrai — FAQ
Is Darkrai worth grading?
A PSA 10 Darkrai sells for $258 against $28.24 raw: a $230 spread, 9.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($191) 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 Darkrai worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darkrai (XY Black Star Promos XY194) sells for about $258 versus $28.24 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Darkrai 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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