The EX Delta Species cards worth grading are the three Gold Stars — Groudon #111, Kyogre #112, and Metagross #113 — followed by the Eeveelution ex trio of Flareon #108, Jolteon #109, and Vaporeon #110. According to PSA's Set Registry write-up, the Gold Stars are "the three most valuable cards in the set by far," and every one of those six cards clears grading costs even in mid grades.
Below that top tier, the math gets tighter. A pair of regular holos — Rayquaza δ #13 and Mewtwo δ #12 — can justify a submission, but only in genuinely clean condition. Everything else in the 113-card set (plus the Azumarill #114 secret-rare box topper) is better sold raw.
Table of Contents
- The Gold Stars: grade them in almost any condition
- The Eeveelution ex trio: low populations, real upside
- Rayquaza and Mewtwo: the only regular holos worth the fee
- The cost floor: why $200 is the cutoff
- Reading the prices: auctions, not asking prices
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Gold Stars: grade them in almost any condition
Gold Star cards are the ultra-rare pulls of the 2004–2007 EX era, marked by a gold star next to the Pokemon's name and art that spills out of the frame. Delta Species has three: Groudon #111, Kyogre #112, and Metagross #113, sitting at the very top of the set's numbering. The ceiling here is dramatic. A PSA 10 Groudon Gold Star sold for $27,450 at Goldin in April 2026, per Figoca's report on the sale, while PokeInvest's market tracking puts the PSA 10 average around $17,137 against roughly $1,084 for a raw copy — a multiple of more than 15x for a gem.
You do not need a gem for grading to pay off. PriceCharting data shows the three Gold Stars averaging $1,277–$1,409 per sale across all grades and conditions: Groudon at $1,277.63 over 145 sales, Metagross at $1,385.41 over 104, and Kyogre at $1,409.43 over 124. At four figures even for non-gem copies, a slab adds authentication and liquidity regardless of the number on the label. If you own one of these three, grade it.
The Eeveelution ex trio: low populations, real upside
Flareon ex #108, Jolteon ex #109, and Vaporeon ex #110 form the second tier. These are the set's most popular non-Gold Star chases, and their PSA populations are strikingly thin. PSA's CardFacts page shows Vaporeon ex #110 with only 157 total submissions and just 25 PSA 10s — for a card from a heavily opened 2005 set, that is a small census. The practical consequence: a fresh, sharp copy faces very little competition at the top of the population report.
EX-era holos are notorious for holo scratching and edge wear, so gem candidates are scarce, and scarcity at PSA 10 is what drives premiums. Raw prices already support the submission cost. Sports Card Investor records Flareon ex #108 last selling around $239.99 raw in near-mint condition, which means even a PSA 8 result likely lands above break-even, and a 9 or 10 multiplies your money. Grade these when the surfaces are clean; sell raw if the holo layer shows swirls under direct light.
Rayquaza and Mewtwo: the only regular holos worth the fee
Among the ordinary holo rares, only two names matter. Mewtwo δ #12 is the set's most valuable non-ex holo, last selling around $300 raw near-mint per Sports Card Investor's sales tracking. Rayquaza δ #13 rides the permanent collector demand for Rayquaza across every set it appears in. The catch is the gem rate. PSA's population report shows Rayquaza δ #13 with 932 total submissions and only 82 PSA 10s — roughly 9% — which tells you two things at once: the card is hard to gem, and a PSA 10 is genuinely scarce.
A copy with any visible whitening, holo scratching, or centering drift is far more likely to come back an 8 than a 10. So the rule for these two is condition-first. Examine the holo surface under angled light, check all four corners, and only submit copies that look flawless. A mid-grade slab on a $300 raw card can be worth less than the raw card plus the grading fee.
The cost floor: why $200 is the cutoff
Grading economics changed in mid-2026. PSA paused its $24.99–$32.99 Value tiers on June 2, 2026, leaving the Regular tier at $79.99 per card, and All Vintage Cards' fee guide puts the realistic all-in cost — grading, shipping, insurance, and selling fees — at about $85–$115 per card. That sets a hard floor: a Delta Species card needs a likely graded value of roughly $200 or more to be worth submitting. Run each candidate through this check before it goes in the box: Under that test, the set sorts cleanly.
The Gold Stars pass automatically. The Eeveelution ex cards pass unless damaged. Rayquaza δ and Mewtwo δ pass only when near-flawless. The rest of the set — including most of the other δ holos — fails the floor and should stay raw.
- Would this card sell for $200+ at the grade it will *probably* get, not the grade you hope for?
- Is the holo surface scratch-free under angled light?
- Is centering close to even on both front and back?
- Are all four corners sharp with no edge whitening?
Reading the prices: auctions, not asking prices
The top of this market is thin, and thin markets produce noisy numbers. The same Groudon Gold Star shows a $17k tracked average against a $27k auction result, and a Kyogre Gold Star PSA 10 has been listed on eBay at $65,000 — an asking price, not a sale. A listing proves what a seller wants, not what a buyer pays.
When you value a card before submitting or selling, anchor on completed auction results from tracked sales databases, and expect wide swings between individual results at the PSA 10 level. Two gem sales months apart can differ by 50% or more simply because only a handful of qualified buyers show up for any single auction. That volatility cuts both ways: it is why a patient seller of a Gold Star gem can land a $27,450 result, and why nobody should submit a card counting on the record price repeating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Azumarill #114 box topper worth grading?
It is the set's secret-rare box topper and worth checking individually against the $200 floor, but it is not among the cards PSA identifies as the set's major value drivers — the Gold Stars and ex cards are.
Should I grade a Gold Star that has visible wear?
Yes. PriceCharting shows the three Gold Stars averaging $1,277–$1,409 per sale across all conditions, so even a mid-grade slab carries four-figure value plus authentication.
What grading tier applies now?
PSA paused its Value tiers on June 2, 2026, so Regular at $79.99 per card is the working rate, with all-in costs around $85–$115 after shipping, insurance, and selling fees.
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