Best Moltres Cards to Grade
The Moltres 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: Moltres (Skyridge) at an expected +$3,404.
Ranked by expected profit 25
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expected +$3,404 per submission: 13.4% of 856 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($25,000), and a PSA 9 ($2,300) still clears the $2,173 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $904 | $2,300 | $25,000 | $1,269 | +$22,827 | 13.4% | +$3,404 | 856 high |
| 2 | Expected +$1,881 per submission: 15.9% of 1,254 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($11,700), and a PSA 9 ($1,242) still clears the $1,369 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $233 | $1,242 | $11,700 | $1,136 | +$10,331 | 15.9% | +$1,881 | 1,254 high |
| 3 | Expected +$1,642 per submission: 5.5% of 291 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($25,500), and a PSA 9 ($1,156) still clears the $2,316 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $42 | $1,156 | $25,500 | $2,274 | +$23,184 | 5.5% | +$1,642 | 291 high |
| 4 | Expected +$1,524 per submission: 8.2% of 1,014 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($15,600), and a PSA 9 ($2,750) still clears the $1,816 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $641 | $2,750 | $15,600 | $1,175 | +$13,784 | 8.2% | +$1,524 | 1,014 high |
| 5 | Expected +$1,429 per submission: 2.8% of 1,350 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($37,100), and a PSA 9 ($2,963) still clears the $2,750 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $360 | $2,963 | $37,100 | $2,390 | +$34,350 | 2.8% | +$1,429 | 1,350 high |
| 6 | Expected +$179 per submission: 39.5% of 306 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($540), and a PSA 9 ($210) still clears the $145 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $60 | $210 | $540 | $85 | +$395 | 39.5% | +$179 | 306 high |
| 7 | Expected +$152 per submission: 9.4% of 170 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,000), and a PSA 9 ($150) still clears the $251 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $12 | $150 | $2,000 | $239 | +$1,749 | 9.4% | +$152 | 170 high |
| 8 | Expected +$146 per submission: 6.9% of 233 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,200), and a PSA 9 ($285) still clears the $307 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $66 | $285 | $2,200 | $241 | +$1,893 | 6.9% | +$146 | 233 high |
| 9 | Expected +$135 per submission: 33.2% of 383 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($634), and only a PSA 10 covers the $107 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $21 | $83 | $634 | $86 | +$527 | 33.2% | +$135 | 383 high |
| 10 | 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 |
| 11 | Expected +$50 per submission: 0.6% of 4,815 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($20,000), and a PSA 9 ($525) still clears the $1,363 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $144 | $525 | $20,000 | $1,219 | +$18,637 | 0.6% | +$50 | 4,815 high |
| 12 | Expected +$38 per submission: 32.9% of 79 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($337), and only a PSA 10 covers the $102 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence medium on that sample. | $19 | $45 | $337 | $83 | +$234 | 32.9% | +$38 | 79 medium |
| 13 | Expected +$26 per submission: 35.7% of 861 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($285), and only a PSA 10 covers the $102 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $19 | $44 | $285 | $83 | +$183 | 35.7% | +$26 | 861 high |
| 14 | Expected +$24 per submission: 1.6% of 3,955 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,600), and a PSA 9 ($265) still clears the $506 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $91 | $265 | $4,600 | $415 | +$4,094 | 1.6% | +$24 | 3,955 high |
| 15 | Expected +$13 per submission: 57.6% of 12,497 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($432), and only a PSA 10 covers the $319 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $235 | $205 | $432 | $84 | +$113 | 57.6% | +$13 | 12,497 high |
| 16 | Expected +$5 per submission: 24.5% of 12,672 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($325), and only a PSA 10 covers the $98 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $15 | $32 | $325 | $83 | +$227 | 24.5% | +$5 | 12,672 high |
| 17 | Expected +$2 per submission: 8.7% of 1,488 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($699), and only a PSA 10 covers the $98 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $11 | $56 | $699 | $87 | +$601 | 8.7% | +$2 | 1,488 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 −$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 |
| 20 | 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 |
| 21 | Expected loss −$16 per submission: 1.1% of 8,593 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,198), and a PSA 9 ($243) still clears the $461 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $60 | $243 | $3,198 | $401 | +$2,737 | 1.1% | −$16 | 8,593 high |
| 22 | Expected loss −$25 per submission: 56.4% of 2,491 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($110), and only a PSA 10 covers the $101 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $35 | $110 | $81 | +$9 | 56.4% | −$25 | 2,491 high |
| 23 | Expected loss −$25 per submission: 63.3% of 679 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($96), and only a PSA 10 covers the $96 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $15 | $30 | $96 | $81 | +$0 | 63.3% | −$25 | 679 high |
| 24 | Expected loss −$44 per submission: 0% of 172 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,878), and a PSA 9 ($293) still clears the $427 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $9 | $293 | $4,878 | $418 | +$4,451 | 0% | −$44 | 172 high |
| 25 | Expected loss −$47 per submission: 20.5% of 414 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($161), and only a PSA 10 covers the $102 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $31 | $161 | $82 | +$60 | 20.5% | −$47 | 414 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | $145 | — | $14,345 | $1,162 | +$13,038 | — | — | none <10 | |
| 27 | $90 | — | $264 | $83 | +$91 | — | — | 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 Moltres ranking
Every Moltres card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 27 Moltres printings pass. 25 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 Moltres from Skyridge, gems 13.4% of the time across 856 graded copies: +$3,404 is what a long run of submissions would average, $22,827 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Moltres cards is 20.5%. Roughly one submitted copy in 5 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 25 ranked cards, 12 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 13 need a 10 to break even and 7 lose money on expectation. 24 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 Moltres ex from Nintendo Black Star Promos at +$13,038.
Before you submit a Moltres 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 Moltres card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.