Is Piplup worth grading?
Pokémon · Mega Evolution Black Star Promos · 042 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Piplup sells for $74.15 against $12.48 raw: a $61.67 spread, 5.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.21) 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)
- $12.48
- PSA 10
- $74.15
- PSA 9
- $26.21
- Gem premium
- 5.9×
- 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 | $74.15 | +$36.67 | +$11.67 | −$88.33 |
| PSA 9 | $26.21 | −$11.27 | −$36.27 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $12.48 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% | $38.20 | −$24.29 |
| 50% | $50.18 | −$12.30 |
| 75% | $62.17 | −$0.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 76%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $121 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $116 | −$5.72 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $74.15 | −$47.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $17.67 | −$104 | 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 | $74.15 | $17.67 | $116 | $121 | $24.08 |
| 9.5 | — | $21.04 | $120 | — | — |
| 9 | $26.21 | $12.31 | — | $29.97 | $24.60 |
Run your own numbers
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Other Mega Evolution Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Piplup — FAQ
Is Piplup worth grading?
A PSA 10 Piplup sells for $74.15 against $12.48 raw: a $61.67 spread, 5.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.21) 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 Piplup worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Piplup (Mega Evolution Black Star Promos 042) sells for about $74.15 versus $12.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.9× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Piplup?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $121, ahead of BGS 10 at $116. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Piplup need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 Piplup break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Piplup breaks even when it gems about 76% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.21).
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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