Is Mega Lucario ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Mega Evolution Black Star Promos · 033 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mega Lucario ex sells for $104 against $12.81 raw: a $91.02 spread, 8.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.72) 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)
- $12.81
- PSA 10
- $104
- PSA 9
- $22.72
- Gem premium
- 8.1×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $104 | +$66.02 | +$41.02 | −$58.98 |
| PSA 9 | $22.72 | −$15.09 | −$40.09 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $24.99 | −$12.82 | −$37.82 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $12.81 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% | $43.00 | −$19.81 |
| 50% | $63.27 | +$0.46 |
| 75% | $83.55 | +$20.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 | $247 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| TAG 10 | $242 | −$5.04 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $104 | −$143 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.21 | −$205 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $104 | $42.21 | $247 | — | $242 | $64.30 |
| 9.5 | — | $17.50 | $66.17 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $22.72 | $13.61 | $43.46 | — | $35.00 | $23.42 |
| 8 | $24.99 | — | — | — | — | $13.29 |
| 7 | $15.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $10.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | — | — | — | $17.32 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Mega Evolution Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Mega Lucario ex — FAQ
Is Mega Lucario ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mega Lucario ex sells for $104 against $12.81 raw: a $91.02 spread, 8.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.72) 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 Mega Lucario ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mega Lucario ex (Mega Evolution Black Star Promos 033) sells for about $104 versus $12.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.1× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mega Lucario ex?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $247, ahead of TAG 10 at $242. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mega Lucario ex 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 Mega Lucario ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mega Lucario ex breaks even when it gems about 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.72).
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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