Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · BW Black Star Promos · BW54 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.0× premium in CGC 8.5
A CGC 8.5 Pikachu sells for $500 against $99.99 raw: a $400 spread, 5.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($97.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $99.99
- CGC 8.5
- $500
- PSA 9
- $97.50
- Gem premium
- 5.0×
- 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 — CGC 8.5 | $500 | +$375 | +$350 | +$250 |
| PSA 9 | $97.50 | −$27.49 | −$52.49 | −$152 |
| PSA 8 | $124 | −$1.43 | −$26.43 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $99.99 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% | $198 | +$48.14 |
| 50% | $299 | +$149 |
| 75% | $399 | +$249 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | $97.50 | — |
| 8.5 | $260 | $500 |
| 8 | $124 | — |
| 7 | $81.66 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A CGC 8.5 Pikachu sells for $500 against $99.99 raw: a $400 spread, 5.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($97.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $97.50).
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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