Is Lt. Surge's Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Gym Heroes · 81/132 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Pikachu sells for $1,459 against $25.00 raw: a $1,434 spread, 58× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($126) 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)
- $25.00
- PSA 10
- $1,459
- PSA 9
- $126
- Gem premium
- 58×
- 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 | $1,459 | +$1,409 | +$1,384 | +$1,284 |
| PSA 9 | $126 | +$76.04 | +$51.04 | −$48.96 |
| PSA 8 | $62.00 | +$12.00 | −$13.00 | −$113 |
Net = sale price − $25.00 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% | $459 | +$384 |
| 50% | $792 | +$717 |
| 75% | $1,126 | +$1,051 |
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 | $1,459 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $144 | −$1,315 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $658 | $66.89 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $110 | $50.02 | — | — |
| 9 | $55.35 | $32.65 | $25.00 | $20.00 | $34.68 |
| 8.5 | $23.50 | $13.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $32.30 | $21.38 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $5.60 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $30.92 | $18.00 | — | $4.00 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $8.99 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $18.72 | $22.71 | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $24.27 | $10.00 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $190 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Lt. Surge's Pikachu — FAQ
Is Lt. Surge's Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Pikachu sells for $1,459 against $25.00 raw: a $1,434 spread, 58× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($126) 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 Lt. Surge's Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Pikachu (Gym Heroes 81/132) sells for about $1,459 versus $25.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 58× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lt. Surge's Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,459, ahead of CGC 10 at $144. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lt. Surge's Pikachu 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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