Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Nintendo Black Star Promos · 012 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $6,447 against $132 raw: a $6,314 spread, 49× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($718) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $132
- PSA 10
- $6,447
- PSA 9
- $718
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $6,447 | +$6,289 | +$6,264 | +$6,164 |
| PSA 9 | $718 | +$561 | +$536 | +$436 |
| PSA 8 | $373 | +$216 | +$191 | +$90.61 |
Net = sale price − $132 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% | $2,150 | +$1,968 |
| 50% | $3,582 | +$3,400 |
| 75% | $5,015 | +$4,832 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $6,447 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $5,400 | −$1,047 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $1,241 | −$5,206 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $810 | −$5,637 | 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 | $1,001 | $1,241 | — | $810 | $5,400 | $760 |
| 9.5 | — | $100 | $324 | $206 | — | — |
| 9 | $198 | $304 | $165 | $128 | $870 | $234 |
| 8.5 | $550 | $40.00 | $87.00 | $65.00 | $34.99 | — |
| 8 | $108 | $50.00 | $155 | $224 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $65.44 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $57.76 | $25.99 | — | — | $177 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $69.39 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $45.06 | $31.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $58.56 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $85.71 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $22.98 | $72.00 | — | $16.50 | — | — |
| 3.5 | $75.00 | $12.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $60.41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $107 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $174 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Nintendo Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $6,447 against $132 raw: a $6,314 spread, 49× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($718) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (Nintendo Black Star Promos 012) sells for about $6,447 versus $132 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $6,447, ahead of TAG 10 at $5,400. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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.
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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