Is Lt. Surge's Bargain worth grading?
Pokémon · Mega Evolution · 185/132 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Bargain sells for $88.90 against $17.58 raw: a $71.32 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.55) 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)
- $17.58
- PSA 10
- $88.90
- PSA 9
- $25.55
- Gem premium
- 5.1×
- 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 | $88.90 | +$46.32 | +$21.32 | −$78.68 |
| PSA 9 | $25.55 | −$17.03 | −$42.03 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $16.82 | −$25.76 | −$50.76 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $17.58 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% | $41.39 | −$26.19 |
| 50% | $57.23 | −$10.35 |
| 75% | $73.06 | +$5.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 66%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $133 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| TAG 10 | $104 | −$28.92 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $88.90 | −$44.46 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $46.10 | −$87.26 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $88.90 | $46.10 | $133 | $104 | $52.55 |
| 9.5 | — | — | $28.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $25.55 | — | — | $18.07 | — |
| 8 | $16.82 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $3.25 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $12.50 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Lt. Surge's Bargain — FAQ
Is Lt. Surge's Bargain worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Bargain sells for $88.90 against $17.58 raw: a $71.32 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.55) 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 Lt. Surge's Bargain worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Bargain (Mega Evolution 185/132) sells for about $88.90 versus $17.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lt. Surge's Bargain?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $133, ahead of TAG 10 at $104. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lt. Surge's Bargain need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Lt. Surge's Bargain break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lt. Surge's Bargain breaks even when it gems about 66% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.55).
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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