Is Piplup worth grading?
Pokémon · DP Black Star Promos · DP03 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 9 Piplup sells for $260 against $27.49 raw: a $233 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($260) 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)
- $27.49
- PSA 9
- $260
- PSA 9
- $260
- 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 9 | $260 | +$208 | +$183 | +$82.82 |
| PSA 9 | $260 | +$208 | +$183 | +$82.82 |
| PSA 8 | $84.72 | +$32.23 | +$7.23 | −$92.77 |
Net = sale price − $27.49 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% | $260 | +$183 |
| 50% | $260 | +$183 |
| 75% | $260 | +$183 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $250 | best | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $250 |
| 9 | $260 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $150 |
| 8 | $84.72 | — |
| 6 | — | $24.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other DP Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Piplup — FAQ
Is Piplup worth grading?
A PSA 9 Piplup sells for $260 against $27.49 raw: a $233 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($260) 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.
What centering does Piplup 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.
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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