Is Popplio worth grading?
Pokémon · Mega Evolution Black Star Promos · 045 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 11× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Popplio sells for $63.33 against $5.52 raw: a $57.81 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.63) 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)
- $5.52
- PSA 10
- $63.33
- PSA 9
- $19.63
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $63.33 | +$32.81 | +$7.81 | −$92.19 |
| PSA 9 | $19.63 | −$10.89 | −$35.89 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $5.52 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% | $30.55 | −$24.96 |
| 50% | $41.48 | −$14.04 |
| 75% | $52.41 | −$3.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 82%. 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 | $110 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $63.33 | −$46.63 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $51.38 | −$58.58 | 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 | $63.33 | $51.38 | — | $110 | $56.06 |
| 9.5 | — | $10.80 | $26.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $19.63 | $8.37 | — | — | $14.07 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $28.28 |
| 7 | $12.50 | — | — | $40.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Mega Evolution Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Popplio — FAQ
Is Popplio worth grading?
A PSA 10 Popplio sells for $63.33 against $5.52 raw: a $57.81 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.63) 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 Popplio worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Popplio (Mega Evolution Black Star Promos 045) sells for about $63.33 versus $5.52 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Popplio?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $110, ahead of PSA 10 at $63.33. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Popplio 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 Popplio break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Popplio breaks even when it gems about 82% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.63).
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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