Is Zapdos worth grading?
Pokémon · Wizards Black Star Promos · 23 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Zapdos sells for $190 against $20.78 raw: a $169 spread, 9.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($63.51) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $20.78
- PSA 10
- $190
- PSA 9
- $63.51
- Gem premium
- 9.1×
- As of
- Aug 10, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $190 | +$144 | +$119 | +$19.25 |
| PSA 9 | $63.51 | +$17.73 | −$7.27 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $36.16 | −$9.62 | −$34.62 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $20.78 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $95.14 | +$24.36 |
| 50% | $127 | +$55.99 |
| 75% | $158 | +$87.62 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $280 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $190 | −$89.97 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.68 | −$225 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $190 | $54.68 | — | — | $280 | $107 |
| 9.5 | — | $16.00 | $34.00 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $63.51 | $30.95 | — | $17.00 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $27.78 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $36.16 | $22.91 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $19.93 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $22.56 | $10.03 | — | — | — | $24.59 |
| 6 | $24.91 | — | $13.00 | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $14.98 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $16.45 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $30.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $100 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Wizards Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Zapdos — FAQ
Is Zapdos worth grading?
A PSA 10 Zapdos sells for $190 against $20.78 raw: a $169 spread, 9.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($63.51) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Zapdos worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Zapdos (Wizards Black Star Promos 23) sells for about $190 versus $20.78 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Zapdos?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $280, ahead of PSA 10 at $190. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Zapdos need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Zapdos break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Zapdos breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $63.51).
Is your Pokémon card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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