Is Alakazam worth grading?
Pokémon · Mega Evolution Black Star Promos · 009 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 20× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Alakazam sells for $193 against $9.51 raw: a $183 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.74) 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)
- $9.51
- PSA 10
- $193
- PSA 9
- $27.74
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $193 | +$158 | +$133 | +$33.29 |
| PSA 9 | $27.74 | −$6.77 | −$31.77 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $15.36 | −$19.15 | −$44.15 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $9.51 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% | $69.00 | +$9.49 |
| 50% | $110 | +$50.76 |
| 75% | $152 | +$92.03 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $815 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $608 | −$207 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $215 | −$600 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32.00 | −$783 | 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 | $815 | $215 | — | $32.00 | $608 | $31.02 |
| 9.5 | $52.00 | $80.00 | $103 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $72.47 | $57.05 | $89.00 | — | $99.11 | $59.57 |
| 8.5 | — | $50.00 | $5.50 | — | $39.99 | — |
| 8 | $65.63 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $11.27 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $14.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Mega Evolution Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Alakazam — FAQ
Is Alakazam worth grading?
A PSA 10 Alakazam sells for $193 against $9.51 raw: a $183 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.74) 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 Alakazam worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Alakazam (Mega Evolution Black Star Promos 009) sells for about $193 versus $9.51 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Alakazam?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $815, ahead of TAG 10 at $608. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Alakazam 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 Alakazam break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Alakazam breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.74).
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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