Is _____'s Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Wizards Black Star Promos · 24 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of _____'s Pikachu sell for $219, only $0.00 above the $491 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($704) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $491
- PSA 10
- $219
- PSA 9
- $704
- Gem premium
- 0.4×
- As of
- Sep 27, 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 | $219 | −$297 | −$322 | −$422 |
| PSA 9 | $704 | +$188 | +$163 | +$63.36 |
| PSA 8 | $432 | −$83.82 | −$109 | −$209 |
Net = sale price − $491 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% | $583 | +$42.09 |
| 50% | $462 | −$79.18 |
| 75% | $341 | −$200 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 34%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $632 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $270 | −$362 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $250 | −$382 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $219 | −$412 | 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.
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Other Wizards Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading _____'s Pikachu — FAQ
Is _____'s Pikachu worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of _____'s Pikachu sell for $219, only $0.00 above the $491 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($704) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 _____'s Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 _____'s Pikachu (Wizards Black Star Promos 24) sells for about $219 versus $491 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.4× premium as of Sep 27, 2026.
Which grading company is best for _____'s Pikachu?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $632, ahead of TAG 10 at $270. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does _____'s Pikachu need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 _____'s Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting _____'s Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 34% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $704).
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