Varoom #206
Pokemon Obsidian Flames · #206 · Illustration Rare · Aug 2023
Maybe — Proceed with Caution
Should You Grade?
Raw Price
$3.13
Expected Value
$-0.53
Net Profit
$4.85
Gem Rate
24.3%
ROI
+27%
Sales / Yr
330
Negative expected value ($-0.53) — while a PSA 10 would be profitable, the probability-weighted outcome across all grades means you lose money on average at this grading tier. The gem rate is only 24% — you'll need a very clean copy to hit PSA 10. PSA 10 profit of $4.85 is thin — grading fees and selling costs eat most of the margin.
Best Tier for Flipping
Factors in grading cost, turnaround time, and compounding — how fast you can reinvest profits into the next flip.
Profitability by Grading Company
Shows the best-value tier from each grading company based on EV, cost, and turnaround. Pop = total graded population; 10s = grade 10 count.
Price by Grade
Raw
$3.13
BGS 10
$93.00
PSA 10
$71.59
SGC 10
$43.00
CGC 10
$22.98
9
$18.13
BGS 9.5
$15.44
8
$10.00
7
$10.00
24.3%Gem Rate (PSA 10)
+13 graded in 30 days
+45 in 90 days
Grade Distribution (950 total graded)
950Total
PSA 1023124.3%
PSA 952855.6%
PSA 816217.1%
PSA 7192.0%
Below 790.9%