Is Riolu worth grading?
Pokémon · Mega Evolution Black Star Promos · 010 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 23× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Riolu sells for $210 against $9.25 raw: a $201 spread, 23× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.73) 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)
- $9.25
- PSA 10
- $210
- PSA 9
- $22.73
- Gem premium
- 23×
- 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 | $210 | +$176 | +$151 | +$50.73 |
| PSA 9 | $22.73 | −$11.52 | −$36.52 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $20.31 | −$13.94 | −$38.94 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $9.25 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% | $69.54 | +$10.29 |
| 50% | $116 | +$57.10 |
| 75% | $163 | +$104 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $2,248 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $1,143 | −$1,106 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $177 | −$2,072 | 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 | $2,248 | $177 | — | $1,143 | $897 |
| 9.5 | — | $98.12 | $118 | — | — |
| 9 | $83.13 | $37.40 | $50.75 | $80.24 | $52.16 |
| 8.5 | $61.00 | $1.99 | — | $43.83 | — |
| 8 | $43.37 | $9.99 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $37.05 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $14.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $12.67 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Mega Evolution Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Riolu — FAQ
Is Riolu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Riolu sells for $210 against $9.25 raw: a $201 spread, 23× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.73) 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 Riolu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Riolu (Mega Evolution Black Star Promos 010) sells for about $210 versus $9.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 23× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Riolu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,248, ahead of TAG 10 at $1,143. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Riolu 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.
What gem rate makes grading Riolu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Riolu breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.73).
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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