Best Salamence Cards to Grade
The Salamence 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: Salamence ex (Power Keepers) at an expected +$3,464.
Ranked by expected profit 15
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Salamence exPower Keepers #96 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$3,464 per submission: 5.5% of 1,481 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($60,000), and a PSA 9 ($1,980) still clears the $3,813 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $194 | $1,980 | $60,000 | $3,619 | +$56,187 | 5.5% | +$3,464 | 1,481 high |
| 2 |  Salamence LV.XArceus #98 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,716 per submission: 2.7% of 862 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($26,100), and a PSA 9 ($5,000) still clears the $2,420 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $140 | $5,000 | $26,100 | $2,280 | +$23,680 | 2.7% | +$1,716 | 862 high |
| 3 |  Salamence exDeoxys #103 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,172 per submission: 5.5% of 739 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($16,500), and a PSA 9 ($3,000) still clears the $1,694 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $510 | $3,000 | $16,500 | $1,184 | +$14,806 | 5.5% | +$1,172 | 739 high |
| 4 |  SalamenceDragon #10 · Vintage (1999–2003)Expected +$999 per submission: 13.4% of 625 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($8,500), and a PSA 9 ($510) still clears the $954 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $250 | $510 | $8,500 | $704 | +$7,546 | 13.4% | +$999 | 625 high |
| 5 |  Salamence ex δDragon Frontiers #98 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$868 per submission: 3.9% of 1,043 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($8,300), and a PSA 9 ($3,753) still clears the $973 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $271 | $3,753 | $8,300 | $702 | +$7,327 | 3.9% | +$868 | 1,043 high |
| 6 |  SalamenceArceus #8 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$391 per submission: 4.9% of 245 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,650), and a PSA 9 ($630) still clears the $426 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $10 | $630 | $4,650 | $416 | +$4,225 | 4.9% | +$391 | 245 high |
| 7 |  Salamence δDelta Species #14 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$390 per submission: 9.7% of 1,276 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,300), and a PSA 9 ($363) still clears the $493 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $81 | $363 | $4,300 | $412 | +$3,807 | 9.7% | +$390 | 1,276 high |
| 8 |  SalamenceDragon Vault #8 · Modern (2011–2019)Expected +$231 per submission: 9.1% of 219 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,000), and a PSA 9 ($160) still clears the $406 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $160 | $3,000 | $399 | +$2,594 | 9.1% | +$231 | 219 high |
| 9 |  Salamence-GXDragon Majesty #73 · Modern (2011–2019)Expected +$113 per submission: 36.3% of 733 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($536), and only a PSA 10 covers the $118 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $33 | $69 | $536 | $85 | +$418 | 36.3% | +$113 | 733 high |
| 10 |  Salamence-EXXY Black Star Promos #XY170 · Modern (2011–2019)Expected +$106 per submission: 7.5% of 106 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,450), and a PSA 9 ($230) still clears the $131 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $17 | $230 | $1,450 | $114 | +$1,319 | 7.5% | +$106 | 106 high |
| 11 |  Salamence-GXSM Black Star Promos #SM139 · Modern (2011–2019)Expected +$74 per submission: 45.1% of 557 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($364), and only a PSA 10 covers the $101 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $17 | $17 | $364 | $84 | +$263 | 45.1% | +$74 | 557 high |
| 12 |  SalamenceSM Black Star Promos #SM140 · Modern (2011–2019)Expected +$67 per submission: 21.8% of 78 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($499), and a PSA 9 ($110) still clears the $98 you have in it. Confidence medium on that sample. | $13 | $110 | $499 | $85 | +$401 | 21.8% | +$67 | 78 medium |
| 13 |  Salamence-GXDragon Majesty #44 · Modern (2011–2019)Expected +$16 per submission: 56.2% of 370 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($161), and only a PSA 10 covers the $91 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $9 | $45 | $161 | $82 | +$70 | 56.2% | +$16 | 370 high |
| 14 |  Salamence exJourney Together #187 · Current (2020–)Expected loss −$19 per submission: 32.1% of 14,451 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($241), and only a PSA 10 covers the $132 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $50 | $54 | $241 | $82 | +$109 | 32.1% | −$19 | 14,451 high |
| 15 |  SalamenceDragon #19 · Vintage (1999–2003)Expected loss −$71 per submission: 16% of 387 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($430), and only a PSA 10 covers the $174 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $90 | $46 | $430 | $84 | +$256 | 16% | −$71 | 387 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 |  Salamence Spirit LinkXY Black Star Promos #XY172 · Modern (2011–2019) | $11 | — | $139 | $81 | +$46 | — | — | none <10 |
| 17 |  Salamence ex30th Celebration #156 · Current (2020–) | $17 | — | $109 | $81 | +$11 | — | — | 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.
PSA population 30
Every Salamence card with a PSA population reading, ranked five ways. A historical PSA 10 rate is the share of graded copies that came back a 10 — how hard a 10 has been to earn, not the chance your copy earns one — and it is only quoted on cards with at least 20 graded copies; the PSA 10 tables use the same floor. PSA counts as of 15 Oct 2026. How population is measured.
Most graded 30
The most-submitted cards, by total PSA graded.
| # | Card | Graded | PSA 10s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salamence ex Journey Together #187 | 14,451 | 4,642 |
| 2 | Salamence VMAX Darkness Ablaze #194 | 2,820 | 2,342 |
| 3 | Salamence ex Journey Together #177 | 2,113 | 912 |
| 4 | Salamence VMAX Darkness Ablaze #144 | 1,772 | 1,425 |
| 5 | Salamence ex Power Keepers #96 | 1,481 | 81 |
| 6 | Salamence δ Delta Species #14 | 1,276 | 124 |
| 7 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #185 | 1,208 | 867 |
| 8 | Salamence ex δ Dragon Frontiers #98 | 1,043 | 41 |
| 9 | Salamence LV.X Arceus #98 | 862 | 23 |
| 10 | Salamence ex Deoxys #103 | 739 | 41 |
Show the next 15
| # | Card | Graded | PSA 10s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #73 | 733 | 266 |
| 12 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #143 | 680 | 414 |
| 13 | Salamence Dragon #10 | 625 | 84 |
| 14 | Salamence-GX SM Black Star Promos #SM139 | 557 | 251 |
| 15 | M Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY171 | 463 | 5 |
| 16 | Salamence XY Black Star Promos #XY59 | 405 | 0 |
| 17 | Salamence Dragon #19 | 387 | 62 |
| 18 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #44 | 370 | 208 |
| 19 | Salamence ex Journey Together #114 | 363 | 102 |
| 20 | Salamence Secret Wonders #18 | 326 | 18 |
| 21 | Salamence Arceus #8 | 245 | 12 |
| 22 | Salamence Dragon Vault #8 | 219 | 20 |
| 23 | Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY170 | 106 | 8 |
| 24 | Salamence Plasma Blast #64 | 101 | 5 |
| 25 | Salamence Roaring Skies #57 | 99 | 11 |
Fewest PSA 10s 29
The smallest PSA 10 populations among cards with at least 20 graded.
| # | Card | PSA 10s | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salamence XY Black Star Promos #XY59 | 0 | 405 |
| 2 | M Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY171 | 5 | 463 |
| 3 | Salamence Plasma Blast #64 | 5 | 101 |
| 4 | Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY170 | 8 | 106 |
| 5 | Salamence Stormfront #24 | 8 | 21 |
| 6 | Salamence Roaring Skies #57 | 11 | 99 |
| 7 | Salamence Arceus #8 | 12 | 245 |
| 8 | Salamence SM Black Star Promos #SM140 | 17 | 78 |
| 9 | Salamence Celestial Storm #106 | 17 | 71 |
| 10 | Salamence Secret Wonders #18 | 18 | 326 |
Show the next 15
| # | Card | PSA 10s | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Salamence Dragon Vault #8 | 20 | 219 |
| 12 | Salamence LV.X Arceus #98 | 23 | 862 |
| 13 | Salamence Evolving Skies #109 | 25 | 84 |
| 14 | Salamence ex δ Dragon Frontiers #98 | 41 | 1,043 |
| 15 | Salamence ex Deoxys #103 | 41 | 739 |
| 16 | Salamence Dragon #19 | 62 | 387 |
| 17 | Salamence ex Power Keepers #96 | 81 | 1,481 |
| 18 | Salamence Dragon #10 | 84 | 625 |
| 19 | Salamence ex Journey Together #114 | 102 | 363 |
| 20 | Salamence δ Delta Species #14 | 124 | 1,276 |
| 21 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #44 | 208 | 370 |
| 22 | Salamence-GX SM Black Star Promos #SM139 | 251 | 557 |
| 23 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #73 | 266 | 733 |
| 24 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #143 | 414 | 680 |
| 25 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #185 | 867 | 1,208 |
Most PSA 10s 29
The largest PSA 10 populations among cards with at least 20 graded.
| # | Card | PSA 10s | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salamence ex Journey Together #187 | 4,642 | 14,451 |
| 2 | Salamence VMAX Darkness Ablaze #194 | 2,342 | 2,820 |
| 3 | Salamence VMAX Darkness Ablaze #144 | 1,425 | 1,772 |
| 4 | Salamence ex Journey Together #177 | 912 | 2,113 |
| 5 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #185 | 867 | 1,208 |
| 6 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #143 | 414 | 680 |
| 7 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #73 | 266 | 733 |
| 8 | Salamence-GX SM Black Star Promos #SM139 | 251 | 557 |
| 9 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #44 | 208 | 370 |
| 10 | Salamence δ Delta Species #14 | 124 | 1,276 |
Show the next 15
| # | Card | PSA 10s | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Salamence ex Journey Together #114 | 102 | 363 |
| 12 | Salamence Dragon #10 | 84 | 625 |
| 13 | Salamence ex Power Keepers #96 | 81 | 1,481 |
| 14 | Salamence Dragon #19 | 62 | 387 |
| 15 | Salamence ex Deoxys #103 | 41 | 739 |
| 16 | Salamence ex δ Dragon Frontiers #98 | 41 | 1,043 |
| 17 | Salamence Evolving Skies #109 | 25 | 84 |
| 18 | Salamence LV.X Arceus #98 | 23 | 862 |
| 19 | Salamence Dragon Vault #8 | 20 | 219 |
| 20 | Salamence Secret Wonders #18 | 18 | 326 |
| 21 | Salamence Celestial Storm #106 | 17 | 71 |
| 22 | Salamence SM Black Star Promos #SM140 | 17 | 78 |
| 23 | Salamence Arceus #8 | 12 | 245 |
| 24 | Salamence Roaring Skies #57 | 11 | 99 |
| 25 | Salamence Stormfront #24 | 8 | 21 |
Hardest to gem 29
The lowest historical PSA 10 rates among cards with at least 20 graded.
| # | Card | Historical PSA 10 rate | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salamence XY Black Star Promos #XY59 | 0% | 405 |
| 2 | M Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY171 | 1.1% | 463 |
| 3 | Salamence LV.X Arceus #98 | 2.7% | 862 |
| 4 | Salamence ex δ Dragon Frontiers #98 | 3.9% | 1,043 |
| 5 | Salamence Arceus #8 | 4.9% | 245 |
| 6 | Salamence Plasma Blast #64 | 5.0% | 101 |
| 7 | Salamence ex Power Keepers #96 | 5.5% | 1,481 |
| 8 | Salamence Secret Wonders #18 | 5.5% | 326 |
| 9 | Salamence ex Deoxys #103 | 5.5% | 739 |
| 10 | Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY170 | 7.5% | 106 |
Show the next 15
| # | Card | Historical PSA 10 rate | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Salamence Dragon Vault #8 | 9.1% | 219 |
| 12 | Salamence δ Delta Species #14 | 9.7% | 1,276 |
| 13 | Salamence Roaring Skies #57 | 11% | 99 |
| 14 | Salamence Dragon #10 | 13% | 625 |
| 15 | Salamence Dragon #19 | 16% | 387 |
| 16 | Salamence SM Black Star Promos #SM140 | 22% | 78 |
| 17 | Salamence Celestial Storm #106 | 24% | 71 |
| 18 | Salamence ex Journey Together #114 | 28% | 363 |
| 19 | Salamence Evolving Skies #109 | 30% | 84 |
| 20 | Salamence ex Journey Together #187 | 32% | 14,451 |
| 21 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #73 | 36% | 733 |
| 22 | Salamence Stormfront #24 | 38% | 21 |
| 23 | Salamence ex Journey Together #177 | 43% | 2,113 |
| 24 | Salamence-GX SM Black Star Promos #SM139 | 45% | 557 |
| 25 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #44 | 56% | 370 |
Fastest growing 28
The most copies newly PSA graded over 30 days, between our readings of 24 Aug 2026 and 28 Sept 2026 — weekly readings, never interpolated between.
| # | Card | New graded | PSA 10s change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salamence ex Journey Together #187 | +487 | +176 |
| 2 | Salamence ex Journey Together #177 | +60 | +33 |
| 3 | Salamence ex Power Keepers #96 | +51 | 0 |
| 4 | Salamence δ Delta Species #14 | +41 | 0 |
| 5 | Salamence ex δ Dragon Frontiers #98 | +29 | 0 |
| 6 | Salamence VMAX Darkness Ablaze #194 | +25 | +21 |
| 7 | Salamence LV.X Arceus #98 | +23 | 0 |
| 8 | Salamence-GX SM Black Star Promos #SM139 | +18 | +5 |
| 9 | Salamence ex Journey Together #114 | +18 | +11 |
| 10 | Salamence VMAX Darkness Ablaze #144 | +15 | +11 |
Show the next 15
| # | Card | New graded | PSA 10s change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Salamence Dragon #10 | +15 | 0 |
| 12 | Salamence XY Black Star Promos #XY59 | +15 | 0 |
| 13 | Salamence ex Deoxys #103 | +14 | 0 |
| 14 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #44 | +13 | +9 |
| 15 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #185 | +10 | +5 |
| 16 | Salamence-GX Dragon Majesty #73 | +9 | +3 |
| 17 | Salamence Dragon #19 | +9 | 0 |
| 18 | Salamence Dragon Vault #8 | +6 | 0 |
| 19 | M Salamence-EX XY Black Star Promos #XY171 | +4 | 0 |
| 20 | Salamence Arceus #8 | +3 | 0 |
| 21 | Salamence Evolving Skies #109 | +3 | 0 |
| 22 | Salamence SM Black Star Promos #SM140 | +3 | +1 |
| 23 | Salamence V Darkness Ablaze #143 | +2 | +1 |
| 24 | Salamence Secret Wonders #18 | +2 | 0 |
| 25 | Salamence Stormfront #24 | +2 | 0 |
How to read the Salamence ranking
Every Salamence card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 17 Salamence printings pass. 15 of them (88%) have a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies in the population reports, and 13 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 Salamence ex from Power Keepers, gems 5.5% of the time across 1,481 graded copies: +$3,464 is what a long run of submissions would average, $56,187 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Salamence cards is 9.7%. 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 15 ranked cards, 10 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 5 need a 10 to break even and 2 lose money on expectation. 14 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 Salamence Spirit Link from XY Black Star Promos at +$46.
Before you submit a Salamence 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 Salamence card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.