Is Tropical Beach worth grading?
Pokémon · BW Black Star Promos · BW28 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 8 Tropical Beach sells for $1,265 against $56.00 raw: a $1,209 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,169) 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)
- $56.00
- PSA 8
- $1,265
- PSA 9
- $1,169
- Gem premium
- 23×
- 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 8 | $1,265 | +$1,184 | +$1,159 | +$1,059 |
| PSA 9 | $1,169 | +$1,088 | +$1,063 | +$963 |
| PSA 8 | $1,265 | +$1,184 | +$1,159 | +$1,059 |
Net = sale price − $56.00 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% | $1,193 | +$1,087 |
| 50% | $1,217 | +$1,111 |
| 75% | $1,241 | +$1,135 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | $1,169 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $790 | — |
| 8 | $1,265 | — | — |
| 7 | $430 | — | — |
| 6 | $115 | $1,000 | — |
| 5.5 | — | $325 | — |
| 5 | — | $399 | — |
| 3 | — | — | $71.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other BW Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Tropical Beach — FAQ
Is Tropical Beach worth grading?
A PSA 8 Tropical Beach sells for $1,265 against $56.00 raw: a $1,209 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,169) 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.
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.
Check my card free