Best Articuno Cards to Grade
The Articuno cards worth grading, ranked by expected profit per submission — every grade outcome weighted by how often the card actually receives it — after current grading fees. The PSA 10 best case is shown on every row but does not decide the order. Top pick: Articuno (Skyridge) at an expected +$2,458.
Ranked by expected profit 28
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expected +$2,458 per submission: 16.7% of 890 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($11,800), and a PSA 9 ($3,326) still clears the $1,902 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $765 | $3,326 | $11,800 | $1,137 | +$9,898 | 16.7% | +$2,458 | 890 high |
| 2 | Expected +$1,696 per submission: 6.9% of 993 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($13,500), and a PSA 9 ($3,040) still clears the $1,541 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $387 | $3,040 | $13,500 | $1,154 | +$11,959 | 6.9% | +$1,696 | 993 high |
| 3 | Expected +$1,260 per submission: 16.4% of 1,316 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($7,200), and a PSA 9 ($1,000) still clears the $918 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $227 | $1,000 | $7,200 | $691 | +$6,282 | 16.4% | +$1,260 | 1,316 high |
| 4 | Expected +$1,149 per submission: 4.9% of 285 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($21,000), and a PSA 9 ($950) still clears the $1,313 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $84 | $950 | $21,000 | $1,229 | +$19,687 | 4.9% | +$1,149 | 285 high |
| 5 | Expected +$976 per submission: 3.1% of 1,343 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($24,400), and a PSA 9 ($1,590) still clears the $1,638 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $375 | $1,590 | $24,400 | $1,263 | +$22,762 | 3.1% | +$976 | 1,343 high |
| 6 | Expected +$427 per submission: 38.2% of 267 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,375), and a PSA 9 ($172) still clears the $192 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $78 | $172 | $1,375 | $114 | +$1,183 | 38.2% | +$427 | 267 high |
| 7 | Expected +$400 per submission: 0% of 122 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($6,150), and a PSA 9 ($3,795) still clears the $1,012 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $331 | $3,795 | $6,150 | $681 | +$5,138 | 0% | +$400 | 122 high |
| 8 | Expected +$195 per submission: 43.8% of 498 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($619), and only a PSA 10 covers the $106 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $96 | $619 | $86 | +$513 | 43.8% | +$195 | 498 high |
| 9 | Expected +$183 per submission: 11% of 218 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,025), and a PSA 9 ($170) still clears the $252 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $13 | $170 | $2,025 | $239 | +$1,772 | 11% | +$183 | 218 high |
| 10 | Expected +$128 per submission: 11.1% of 18 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,500), and a PSA 9 ($100) still clears the $125 you have in it. Confidence low on that sample. | $10 | $100 | $1,500 | $115 | +$1,375 | 11.1% | +$128 | 18 low |
| 11 | Expected +$125 per submission: 56.1% of 417 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($390), and only a PSA 10 covers the $117 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $33 | $58 | $390 | $84 | +$273 | 56.1% | +$125 | 417 high |
| 12 | Expected +$121 per submission: 7.1% of 1,390 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,940), and a PSA 9 ($260) still clears the $270 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $32 | $260 | $1,940 | $238 | +$1,669 | 7.1% | +$121 | 1,390 high |
| 13 | Expected +$100 per submission: 57.6% of 630 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($346), and only a PSA 10 covers the $132 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $49 | $87 | $346 | $83 | +$213 | 57.6% | +$100 | 630 high |
| 14 | Expected +$63 per submission: 56.5% of 72,418 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($408), and only a PSA 10 covers the $234 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $150 | $156 | $408 | $84 | +$174 | 56.5% | +$63 | 72,418 high |
| 15 | Expected +$48 per submission: 11.9% of 143 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($550), and a PSA 9 ($150) still clears the $96 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $11 | $150 | $550 | $85 | +$454 | 11.9% | +$48 | 143 high |
| 16 | Expected +$21 per submission: 30.7% of 342 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($322), and only a PSA 10 covers the $95 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $12 | $25 | $322 | $83 | +$227 | 30.7% | +$21 | 342 high |
| 17 | Expected +$9 per submission: 47.6% of 296 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($178), and only a PSA 10 covers the $93 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $11 | $40 | $178 | $82 | +$85 | 47.6% | +$9 | 296 high |
| 18 | Expected +$1 per submission: 65.1% of 19,803 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($174), and only a PSA 10 covers the $132 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $50 | $57 | $174 | $82 | +$42 | 65.1% | +$1 | 19,803 high |
| 19 | Expected loss −$8 per submission: 53.2% of 5,553 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($200), and only a PSA 10 covers the $147 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $65 | $72 | $200 | $82 | +$53 | 53.2% | −$8 | 5,553 high |
| 20 | Expected loss −$11 per submission: 50.4% of 18,668 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($164), and only a PSA 10 covers the $119 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $37 | $52 | $164 | $82 | +$45 | 50.4% | −$11 | 18,668 high |
| 21 | Expected loss −$12 per submission: 63.5% of 1,303 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($125), and only a PSA 10 covers the $98 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $17 | $20 | $125 | $81 | +$26 | 63.5% | −$12 | 1,303 high |
| 22 | Expected loss −$13 per submission: 63.8% of 25,762 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($138), and only a PSA 10 covers the $119 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $38 | $50 | $138 | $81 | +$19 | 63.8% | −$13 | 25,762 high |
| 23 | Expected loss −$15 per submission: 29.2% of 26,822 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($213), and only a PSA 10 covers the $102 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $36 | $213 | $82 | +$111 | 29.2% | −$15 | 26,822 high |
| 24 | Expected loss −$16 per submission: 0.7% of 9,581 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($5,500), and a PSA 9 ($255) still clears the $737 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $63 | $255 | $5,500 | $674 | +$4,763 | 0.7% | −$16 | 9,581 high |
| 25 | Expected loss −$21 per submission: 62.3% of 6,989 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($126), and only a PSA 10 covers the $116 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $35 | $44 | $126 | $81 | +$10 | 62.3% | −$21 | 6,989 high |
| 26 | Expected loss −$36 per submission: 1.2% of 252 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,249), and a PSA 9 ($150) still clears the $129 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $17 | $150 | $1,249 | $112 | +$1,120 | 1.2% | −$36 | 252 high |
| 27 | Expected loss −$41 per submission: 7.8% of 1,386 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($173), and only a PSA 10 covers the $92 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $10 | $85 | $173 | $82 | +$81 | 7.8% | −$41 | 1,386 high |
| 28 | Expected loss −$49 per submission: 13% of 161 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($94), and only a PSA 10 covers the $88 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $45 | $94 | $81 | +$5 | 13% | −$49 | 161 high |
Best case only — no gem-rate evidence 2
Fewer than 10 graded copies in the PSA and CGC population reports. They clear the grading cost if they gem — that is all the numbers support.
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | $173 | — | $25,000 | $1,269 | +$23,558 | — | — | none <10 | |
| 30 | $110 | — | $799 | $88 | +$601 | — | — | none <10 |
Expected = every grade outcome weighted by its share of the card's graded population, minus the raw price and the grading cost (PSA tier fee for the graded value plus ~$20 round-trip shipping, fees as of 2026-09-26). Best case is the PSA 10 leg alone. Gem rates come from a self-selected population — collectors grade their cleanest copies — so read them as an upper bound. Raw is a blended market price, not a sale of your copy. Full method and filters on the grading index.
How to read the Articuno ranking
Every Articuno card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 30 Articuno printings pass. 28 of them (93%) have a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies in the population reports, and 18 of those keep a positive expected value once every grade outcome is weighted by how often the card actually receives it.
The order is expected profit, not the PSA 10 best case, which rewards the widest raw-to-gem gap whether the card gems one time in two or one in fifty. Here the top row, the Articuno from Skyridge, gems 16.7% of the time across 890 graded copies: +$2,458 is what a long run of submissions would average, $9,898 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Articuno cards is 29.2%. Roughly one submitted copy in 3 came back PSA 10, and most rows here need that PSA 10 to cover raw price plus fee, so the gem rate decides whether a submission pays. Of the 28 ranked cards, 13 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 15 need a 10 to break even and 10 lose money on expectation. 27 rest on a hundred or more graded copies.
2 cards sit below the ranking with a best case only, fewer than ten graded copies. The largest best case among them is the Articuno from Wizards Black Star Promos at +$601.
Before you submit a Articuno card
Grading pays on condition. The four things every grader scores — centering, corners, edges and surface — can be checked at home before paying a fee, and a copy that is visibly off-centre or has a whitened corner will not gem whatever the population says. Those gem rates come from a self-selected population of clean copies, so a random copy does worse.
The cost column assumes a PSA submission at the tier covering the card's PSA 10 value, fees as of 2026-09-26, and raw is CardTrack's blended near-mint price, not a sale of your copy: pay more, or hold a lighter copy, and the break-even moves against you. Test a card with your own numbers in the ROI calculator, see the printings that fail the bar on the Articuno card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.