Is Ho-oh worth grading?
Pokémon · Wizards Black Star Promos · 52 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ho-oh sells for $440 against $46.28 raw: a $394 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($205) 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)
- $46.28
- PSA 10
- $440
- PSA 9
- $205
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- 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 | $440 | +$369 | +$344 | +$244 |
| PSA 9 | $205 | +$133 | +$108 | +$8.37 |
| PSA 8 | $120 | +$48.71 | +$23.71 | −$76.29 |
Net = sale price − $46.28 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% | $264 | +$167 |
| 50% | $322 | +$226 |
| 75% | $381 | +$285 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $981 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $168 | −$813 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $981 | $110 | — | — | $375 |
| 9.5 | — | $73.68 | $86.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $118 | $88.19 | — | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $19.66 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $98.27 | $79.72 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $40.83 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $20.00 | — | — | $19.99 | — |
| 5 | $36.47 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $13.00 | — | — | $30.00 | — |
| 3 | $15.95 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $69.99 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Wizards Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ho-oh — FAQ
Is Ho-oh worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ho-oh sells for $440 against $46.28 raw: a $394 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($205) 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 Ho-oh worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ho-oh (Wizards Black Star Promos 52) sells for about $440 versus $46.28 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.5× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ho-oh?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $981, ahead of CGC 10 at $168. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ho-oh need for a PSA 10?
PSA 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.
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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