Best Darkrai Cards to Grade
The Darkrai 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: Darkrai LV.X (Great Encounters) at an expected +$3,236.
Ranked by expected profit 27
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expected +$3,236 per submission: 3.5% of 1,184 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($80,000), and a PSA 9 ($3,933) still clears the $4,033 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $214 | $3,933 | $80,000 | $3,819 | +$75,967 | 3.5% | +$3,236 | 1,184 high |
| 2 | Expected +$2,576 per submission: 12.1% of 264 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($18,750), and a PSA 9 ($1,233) still clears the $1,250 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $43 | $1,233 | $18,750 | $1,207 | +$17,501 | 12.1% | +$2,576 | 264 high |
| 3 | Expected +$1,790 per submission: 21.9% of 401 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($8,500), and a PSA 9 ($399) still clears the $745 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $41 | $399 | $8,500 | $704 | +$7,755 | 21.9% | +$1,790 | 401 high |
| 4 | Expected +$1,288 per submission: 24.9% of 317 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($5,500), and a PSA 9 ($399) still clears the $714 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $40 | $399 | $5,500 | $674 | +$4,786 | 24.9% | +$1,288 | 317 high |
| 5 | Expected +$652 per submission: 1.6% of 1,127 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($26,000), and a PSA 9 ($1,927) still clears the $2,391 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $112 | $1,927 | $26,000 | $2,279 | +$23,609 | 1.6% | +$652 | 1,127 high |
| 6 | Expected +$602 per submission: 9.3% of 269 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($5,500), and a PSA 9 ($600) still clears the $699 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $25 | $600 | $5,500 | $674 | +$4,801 | 9.3% | +$602 | 269 high |
| 7 | Expected +$562 per submission: 8.3% of 1,350 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($7,580), and a PSA 9 ($500) still clears the $970 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $275 | $500 | $7,580 | $695 | +$6,610 | 8.3% | +$562 | 1,350 high |
| 8 | Expected +$523 per submission: 10% of 1,235 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,500), and a PSA 9 ($600) still clears the $578 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $164 | $600 | $4,500 | $414 | +$3,922 | 10% | +$523 | 1,235 high |
| 9 | Expected +$495 per submission: 22.6% of 2,093 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,500), and a PSA 9 ($189) still clears the $294 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $50 | $189 | $2,500 | $244 | +$2,206 | 22.6% | +$495 | 2,093 high |
| 10 | Expected +$477 per submission: 4.5% of 1,482 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($9,888), and a PSA 9 ($674) still clears the $785 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $67 | $674 | $9,888 | $718 | +$9,103 | 4.5% | +$477 | 1,482 high |
| 11 | Expected +$443 per submission: 18.7% of 375 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,500), and a PSA 9 ($215) still clears the $264 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $215 | $2,500 | $244 | +$2,236 | 18.7% | +$443 | 375 high |
| 12 | Expected +$428 per submission: 38.5% of 13 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,550), and only a PSA 10 covers the $410 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence low on that sample. | $175 | $240 | $1,550 | $235 | +$1,141 | 38.5% | +$428 | 13 low |
| 13 | Expected +$390 per submission: 71.9% of 64 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($830), and a PSA 9 ($330) still clears the $293 you have in it. Confidence medium on that sample. | $205 | $330 | $830 | $88 | +$537 | 71.9% | +$390 | 64 medium |
| 14 | Expected +$373 per submission: 4.5% of 177 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($6,000), and a PSA 9 ($570) still clears the $736 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $57 | $570 | $6,000 | $679 | +$5,264 | 4.5% | +$373 | 177 high |
| 15 | Expected +$341 per submission: 0% of 63 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($52,800), and a PSA 9 ($3,600) still clears the $3,905 you have in it. Confidence medium on that sample. | $358 | $3,600 | $52,800 | $3,547 | +$48,895 | 0% | +$341 | 63 medium |
| 16 | Expected +$204 per submission: 8% of 261 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,914), and a PSA 9 ($450) still clears the $263 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $25 | $450 | $1,914 | $238 | +$1,651 | 8% | +$204 | 261 high |
| 17 | Expected +$189 per submission: 59% of 39 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($400), and a PSA 9 ($160) still clears the $91 you have in it. Confidence medium on that sample. | $7 | $160 | $400 | $84 | +$309 | 59% | +$189 | 39 medium |
| 18 | Expected +$184 per submission: 15.2% of 598 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,602), and a PSA 9 ($120) still clears the $260 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $25 | $120 | $1,602 | $235 | +$1,342 | 15.2% | +$184 | 598 high |
| 19 | Expected +$161 per submission: 10.2% of 620 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,531), and only a PSA 10 covers the $451 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $57 | $120 | $2,531 | $394 | +$2,080 | 10.2% | +$161 | 620 high |
| 20 | Expected +$156 per submission: 44.7% of 5,960 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($625), and only a PSA 10 covers the $186 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $100 | $125 | $625 | $86 | +$439 | 44.7% | +$156 | 5,960 high |
| 21 | Expected +$120 per submission: 5.1% of 176 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,499), and a PSA 9 ($305) still clears the $424 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $305 | $3,499 | $404 | +$3,075 | 5.1% | +$120 | 176 high |
| 22 | Expected +$45 per submission: 29.2% of 787 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($344), and only a PSA 10 covers the $93 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $10 | $85 | $344 | $83 | +$251 | 29.2% | +$45 | 787 high |
| 23 | Expected +$21 per submission: 58.8% of 5,025 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($264), and only a PSA 10 covers the $182 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $99 | $119 | $264 | $83 | +$82 | 58.8% | +$21 | 5,025 high |
| 24 | Expected +$15 per submission: 4.7% of 192 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,820), and a PSA 9 ($107) still clears the $259 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $22 | $107 | $1,820 | $237 | +$1,561 | 4.7% | +$15 | 192 high |
| 25 | Expected +$5 per submission: 59% of 18,069 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($234), and only a PSA 10 covers the $172 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $90 | $100 | $234 | $82 | +$62 | 59% | +$5 | 18,069 high |
| 26 | Expected loss −$9 per submission: 6.4% of 157 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($480), and a PSA 9 ($159) still clears the $95 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $10 | $159 | $480 | $85 | +$385 | 6.4% | −$9 | 157 high |
| 27 | Expected loss −$56 per submission: 0% of 102 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($350), and a PSA 9 ($160) still clears the $107 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $24 | $160 | $350 | $83 | +$243 | 0% | −$56 | 102 high |
Best case only — no gem-rate evidence 4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | $227 | — | $102,000 | $6,039 | +$95,734 | — | — | none <10 | |
| 29 | $240 | — | $7,288 | $692 | +$6,356 | — | — | none <10 | |
| 30 | $22 | — | $172 | $82 | +$68 | — | — | none <10 | |
| 31 | $25 | — | $163 | $82 | +$56 | — | — | 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 Darkrai ranking
Every Darkrai card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 31 Darkrai printings pass. 27 of them (87%) have a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies in the population reports, and 25 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 Darkrai LV.X from Great Encounters, gems 3.5% of the time across 1,184 graded copies: +$3,236 is what a long run of submissions would average, $75,967 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Darkrai cards is 10.2%. Roughly one submitted copy in 10 came back PSA 10, and most rows here still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, so the PSA 9 price does most of the work. Of the 27 ranked cards, 21 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 6 need a 10 to break even and 2 lose money on expectation. 23 rest on a hundred or more graded copies.
4 cards sit below the ranking with a best case only, fewer than ten graded copies. The largest best case among them is the Umbreon & Darkrai-GX from SM Black Star Promos at +$6,356.
Before you submit a Darkrai 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 Darkrai card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.