The Roaring Skies cards worth grading are full-art M Rayquaza-EX 105/108, full-art Rayquaza-EX 104/108, Rayquaza-EX 75/108, M Rayquaza-EX 76/108, and Shaymin-EX 77/108 and 106/108. Grading means a service authenticates a card and assigns a numeric condition grade, where PSA 10 means gem-mint. XY Roaring Skies is the sixth XY Pokemon TCG expansion, released May 6, 2015, headlined by Mega Rayquaza-EX, Mega Latios-EX and Dragon-type Pokemon. The English set holds 110 cards plus 2 secret rares, including 20 Pokemon-EX and gold secrets Energy Switch 109/108 and VS Seeker 110/108.
Table of Contents
- Which Rayquaza cards pay for grading?
- Why does Shaymin-EX still matter?
- Why do so few copies earn PSA 10?
- Should you grade your copy?
Which Rayquaza cards pay for grading?
Full-art M Rayquaza-EX 105/108 is the clear top chase for grading. According to PriceCharting, a PSA 10 copy sold through Goldin for $24,095 on Aug. 10, 2026 in the PriceCharting sales history. A later eBay sale reached $26,501.65.
The price jump from raw to PSA 10 creates the incentive. Raw copies trade near $251 while PSA 10 trades near $24,095, leaving about $23,844 gross margin before fees. Full-art Rayquaza-EX 104/108 follows the same pattern, with raw near $128 and PSA 10 near $7,200. Lower-numbered Rayquaza-EX 75/108 also qualifies because demand stays strong and gem copies are scarce. According to CardCodex, only 373 PSA 10s came from 1,842 submissions, with raw at $41.75 versus PSA 10 at $1,990.32 in the CardCodex price guide.
Why does Shaymin-EX still matter?
Shaymin-EX 77/108 and full-art 106/108 earn grading attention through play demand plus collector demand. Shaymin-EX was the set's competitive staple, played as 2-4 copies per deck for its Set Up draw ability. That use kept both versions in circulation and in binders. Competitive use cuts two ways for graders.
Many copies saw shuffle wear, edge contact, and binder handling. Clean, pack-fresh copies with sharp corners stand apart from former deck copies. Collectors chase the full art first, then the regular EX. Players still want clean regular copies for old-format decks and display sets. Submit only copies with clean print, centered borders, and no edge whitening.
Why do so few copies earn PSA 10?
Roaring Skies EX cards prove difficult in gem grade. M Rayquaza-EX 76/108 produced only 145 PSA 10s from 1,805 graded cards. Large gold borders, dark edges, and full-art foil show small defects quickly. PSA 9s sell far below PSA 10s, so near-perfect condition controls the result.
According to PokeInvest, grading fees run $24.99-$79.99 per card plus shipping in the PokeInvest grading-cost guide. A PSA 9 often fails to recover that cost plus postage and wait time. Treat surface, edges, corners, and centering as separate checks. Full-art foils hide print lines under room light, so tilt the card under a lamp. Reject copies with silver edge dots, corner touches, or off-center backs.
Should you grade your copy?
Grade only when the card looks pack-fresh and matches a high-margin target above. Compare recent PSA 10 sales against raw value, fees, shipping, and insurance before submitting.
A common holo or played EX rarely clears that bar. Use this quick screen before you pay: Send strong Rayquaza and Shaymin-EX copies in penny sleeves and card savers, not top loaders. Leave a card with visible edge whitening raw and sell it as raw.
- Centering looks even front and back with no tilt
- Corners are sharp under magnification with no white
- Edges show no whitening, nicks, or chipping
- Surface shows no scratches, print lines, or foil dents
- Value gap from raw to PSA 10 exceeds $100 after fees
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