Mewtwo ex #101 is the strongest EX Ruby & Sapphire card to grade, provided the copy is authentic and unusually clean. The other seven EX holo rares—Chansey #96, Electabuzz #97, Hitmonchan #98, Lapras #99, Magmar #100, Scyther #102, and Sneasel #103—are also worth considering in near-mint or better condition. Grading means having a third party authenticate a card and assign a condition score. The decision depends on the likely grade, not simply the card's name or raw value.
Table of Contents
- Why Mewtwo ex #101 Comes First
- The Other EX Cards Worth Inspecting
- Are Any Non-EX Cards Worth Grading?
- How Clean Must the Card Be?
- Run the Numbers Before Submitting
Why Mewtwo ex #101 Comes First
Mewtwo has the best documented value in the set. PSA's price guide lists it at $2,000 in PSA 10, the highest guide value among EX Ruby & Sapphire cards. It also has meaningful value below Gem Mint.
PSA CardFacts reports most-recent sales of $2,850 in PSA 10, $717.06 in PSA 9, and $310 in PSA 8. That range makes Mewtwo more forgiving than cards whose financial case depends almost entirely on receiving a 10. However, the sharp drop between grades still makes careful condition screening essential.
The Other EX Cards Worth Inspecting
All seven remaining EX holo rares can justify grading when they have strong surfaces, corners, edges, and centering. PSA's price guide lists PSA 10 values of $700 or more for Chansey, $700 for Lapras and Scyther, about $700 for Sneasel, $600 for Electabuzz and Hitmonchan, and $500 for Magmar.
Those figures apply to PSA 10 examples, not raw cards or automatically to lower grades. A visible flaw that makes a 10 unlikely can change the calculation quickly, especially for Magmar, Electabuzz, and Hitmonchan.
Are Any Non-EX Cards Worth Grading?
The strongest conventional holo candidates are Swampert #13, Blaziken #3, Sceptile #11, and Gardevoir #7. PSA's guide places Swampert at $700 in PSA 10 and the other three at $600 each. Reverse holos are more selective submissions.
Most PSA 10 guide values shown fall between $100 and $300, while Mudkip #59, Mudkip #60, and Torchic #73 reach $300. Inspect reverse holos especially closely for print defects. PSA's set research documented horizontal factory lines on some yellow borders, which can undermine the high grade needed to make a submission worthwhile.
How Clean Must the Card Be?
PSA 10 is a demanding target. PSA's grading standards call for a virtually perfect card with sharp corners, full gloss, no staining, and roughly 55/45 front centering.
Before submitting, check each card under bright, angled light: A card does not need to be flawless to have collector value. It does need a realistic path to a sufficiently valuable grade before grading becomes a sound financial choice.
- Look for whitening, soft corners, dents, creases, and edge wear.
- Tilt the card to expose surface flaws and lost gloss.
- Check the holo area and yellow borders for factory lines.
- Compare the left-right and top-bottom borders for centering.
- Remove cards with damage that is easy to see without magnification.
Run the Numbers Before Submitting
Current PSA Regular grading costs $79.99 per card before shipping. That expense creates a high hurdle for reverse holos and lower-value EX cards. Estimate the likely grade, then compare recent sold prices for that grade with the card's raw value.
Subtract grading, shipping, and any selling costs rather than comparing a raw card directly with an optimistic PSA 10 guide price. Mewtwo deserves consideration when the economics still work at PSA 8 or 9. For the other EX cards and most non-EX choices, submit only when close inspection supports a serious chance at the high grade behind the quoted value.
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