From raw to PSA 10: grading an Ascended Heroes chase pays 2.5–6.6×
1,100+ verified slab sales and 1,800 raw comps · Ascended Heroes · March–June 2026
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The same Ascended Heroes chase is worth three very different prices — raw, PSA 9, or PSA 10 — and grading is the bet that moves you between them. The real question isn't whether to grade; it's what a 10 pays, and what the math becomes when the card comes back a 9 instead.
This read covers the set's six biggest chases from March 27 through June 25, 2026. It draws on 1,141 verified PSA 9/10 sales (~$1.33M graded), plus 1,800 raw near-mint sales (~$800K) from TCGplayer and eBay — stitched across eBay, TCGplayer, and the major auction houses. Same-card identity, secondary sales only, medians throughout.
Grade a raw chase and a PSA 10 returns 2.5× to 6.6× the raw price. But the 10 is never a given — and on the premium chases, a PSA 9 is worth barely more than the raw card you started with.
From raw to PSA 10: the grading return
What does sending a raw chase in actually pay? Using the blended TCGplayer and eBay near-mint price as the raw comp, the PSA 10 return splits the set in two.
What a raw card returns once graded, as a multiple of its raw near-mint price — the further the bar runs, the bigger the jump.
| Card | Raw NM | PSA 9 | PSA 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gengar SIR | $1,250 | $1,325 (1.1×) | $3,299 (2.6×) |
| Dragonite | $800 | $828 (1.0×) | $2,139 (2.7×) |
| Pikachu ex | $1,297 | $1,175 (0.9×) | $3,200 (2.5×) |
| Meganium | $478 | $500 (1.0×) | $1,436 (3.0×) |
| Gengar MAR | $85 | $150 (1.8×) | $455 (5.4×) |
| Psyduck | $106 | $180 (1.7×) | $698 (6.6×) |
On the premium chases — SIR Gengar, Dragonite, Pikachu, Meganium — a PSA 10 returns roughly 2.5–3× raw. The multiple is "only" that high because the raw copy is already expensive: it carries the chance of a 10, so it trades close to a PSA 9 before it's ever graded.
On the affordable chases the multiple explodes. A raw Psyduck or Gengar MAR is cheap and plentiful, so a PSA 10 returns 5–7× — Psyduck tops the set at 6.6×. These are the lottery tickets where a clean 10 pays for itself many times over.
The 10 is the prize on every card — but it is a gamble. What a buyer collects if the card grades a 9 instead is a different number for each one, and that downside is where the set gets interesting.
If it grades a 9 instead
A 9 Psyduck returns just 28 cents on its 10's dollar; a 9 SIR Gengar, 40. How far a chase falls when it misses the 10 is specific to the card, not the set — the spread (PSA 9 as a share of PSA 10) runs from 28% to 42% across these six on a trailing 3-week average. Each bar below spans a card's 3-month range; the dot marks today.
Where each card's PSA 9/10 spread has traded over the last three months — higher means PSA 9 is closer to PSA 10.
And both tiers cooled together this spring — PSA 10 medians off roughly 15–25% — but in step, so the grading multiples above held even as the dollar prices fell. The downside shifts with the market; its shape stays the card's.
What it means for your slab
One rule covers the set. If the raw card is cheap — Psyduck or Gengar MAR — a 9 already beats raw and a 10 returns 5–7×, so grade it. If the raw card already costs near a PSA 9 — the premium chases — you're paying for a 10 you might not get, so know your grade odds before you submit.
Either way, price every slab off its own card's comps, not a set-wide average — the gap between a 9 and a 10 is a different number on every card.
Methodology
- Grade spread = PSA 9 median sale price ÷ PSA 10 median sale price, as a percentage. The 3-month band is the low and high of each card's weekly spread over the window.
- 3-week rolling average = trailing average of weekly spreads (Monday–Sunday weeks), reported at the latest week with enough sales. It smooths one-week noise without lagging like a 30/90-day window.
- 90-day window, March 27 – June 25, 2026. A week counts only with at least one PSA 9 and one PSA 10 sale; sparse weeks (e.g. Meganium) are noted, not extrapolated.
- Verified PSA 9/10 sales across major marketplaces — eBay, TCGplayer, Fanatics, and the auction houses — with matched card identity. Secondary trades only — buybacks, internal transfers, burns, and primary mints excluded.
- Raw NM = blended TCGplayer + eBay near-mint median over the same window. Multiples compare PSA 9 and PSA 10 medians to that raw comp; grading fees are not netted out.
- Watchlist: Mega Gengar ex SIR (#284), Mega Dragonite ex, Pikachu ex, Mega Meganium ex, Mega Gengar ex (MAR), and Psyduck.
Run this analysis yourself
Every number here comes from the same public data the SilphCo API serves — verified cross-market sales, grade-by-grade splits, and raw-vs-slab price history for any card. Run the same raw-to-PSA-10 math on the set you collect. Grab a free key and query it directly.
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- API reference — every endpoint, plus the read-only SQL route this study ran on.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is PSA grading worth it for Ascended Heroes chase cards?
Yes — a PSA 10 returns 2.5× to 6.6× the raw near-mint price across the six biggest Ascended Heroes chases. The affordable chases (Psyduck, Gengar MAR) return 5–7× at PSA 10; the premium chases (Gengar SIR, Dragonite, Pikachu) return 2.5–3× because the raw card already carries grading premium.
What does a PSA 9 sell for compared to a PSA 10?
A PSA 9 sells for 28% to 42% of the PSA 10 price across the six Ascended Heroes chases, measured on a 3-week rolling average. The spread is card-specific, not set-wide — each card has its own constant discount to a 10.
Should I grade cheap chase cards or expensive ones?
Grade the cheap ones. A raw Psyduck ($106) returns 6.6× at PSA 10 ($698) and already beats raw at PSA 9 ($180). On premium chases like SIR Gengar ($1,250 raw), a PSA 9 ($1,325) barely beats raw — you are paying for a 10 you might not get, so know your grade odds before submitting.
How many sales back this grading return analysis?
1,141 verified PSA 9/10 sales (~$1.33M graded) plus 1,800 raw near-mint sales (~$800K) from TCGplayer and eBay, covering March 27 through June 25, 2026. Secondary trades only — buybacks, internal transfers, and primary mints are excluded.
Do PSA 9 and PSA 10 prices move together?
Yes. Both tiers cooled 15–25% in spring 2026, but in step — so the grading multiples held even as dollar prices fell. The downside shifts with the market; the 9-to-10 spread stays card-specific.
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