Is Ho-Oh worth grading?
Pokémon · HGSS Black Star Promos · HGSS01 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh sells for $1,801 against $47.03 raw: a $1,754 spread, 38× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,623) 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)
- $47.03
- PSA 10
- $1,801
- PSA 9
- $1,623
- Gem premium
- 38×
- As of
- Oct 7, 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 | $1,801 | +$1,729 | +$1,704 | +$1,604 |
| PSA 9 | $1,623 | +$1,551 | +$1,526 | +$1,426 |
| PSA 8 | $105 | +$33.23 | +$8.23 | −$91.77 |
Net = sale price − $47.03 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% | $1,667 | +$1,570 |
| 50% | $1,712 | +$1,615 |
| 75% | $1,756 | +$1,659 |
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 | $1,801 | 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.
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Grading Ho-Oh — FAQ
Is Ho-Oh worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh sells for $1,801 against $47.03 raw: a $1,754 spread, 38× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,623) 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 Ho-Oh worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh (HGSS Black Star Promos HGSS01) sells for about $1,801 versus $47.03 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Oct 7, 2026.
What centering does Ho-Oh 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.
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