Is Shining Magikarp worth grading?
Pokémon · Celebrations: Classic Collection · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.0× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shining Magikarp sells for $157 against $39.37 raw: a $118 spread, 4.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($52.88) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $39.37
- PSA 10
- $157
- PSA 9
- $52.88
- Gem premium
- 4.0×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $157 | +$92.82 | +$67.82 | −$32.18 |
| PSA 9 | $52.88 | −$11.49 | −$36.49 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $38.23 | −$26.14 | −$51.14 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $39.37 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% | $78.96 | −$10.41 |
| 50% | $105 | +$15.66 |
| 75% | $131 | +$41.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 35%. 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 | $212 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $157 | −$54.32 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $85.57 | −$126 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $68.83 | −$143 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $62.19 | −$149 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
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 | $157 | $85.57 | $62.19 | $68.83 | $212 | $118 |
| 9.5 | — | $52.82 | $145 | $37.94 | — | — |
| 9 | $52.88 | $35.21 | $31.76 | $32.79 | $49.88 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $19.35 | $40.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $38.23 | $26.00 | — | — | $25.00 | — |
| 7 | $34.41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $26.06 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $24.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $18.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Shining Magikarp — FAQ
Is Shining Magikarp worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shining Magikarp sells for $157 against $39.37 raw: a $118 spread, 4.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($52.88) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Shining Magikarp worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shining Magikarp (Celebrations: Classic Collection) sells for about $157 versus $39.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.0× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shining Magikarp?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $212, ahead of PSA 10 at $157. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shining Magikarp 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 Shining Magikarp break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shining Magikarp breaks even when it gems about 35% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $52.88).
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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