Is Tropical Wind worth grading?
Pokémon · Nintendo Black Star Promos · 026 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tropical Wind sells for $1,319 against $211 raw: a $1,109 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($389) 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)
- $211
- PSA 10
- $1,319
- PSA 9
- $389
- Gem premium
- 6.3×
- 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 | $1,319 | +$1,084 | +$1,059 | +$959 |
| PSA 9 | $389 | +$153 | +$128 | +$27.79 |
| PSA 8 | $195 | −$41.17 | −$66.17 | −$166 |
Net = sale price − $211 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% | $621 | +$360 |
| 50% | $854 | +$593 |
| 75% | $1,087 | +$826 |
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 | $1,319 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $313 | −$1,006 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,319 | $313 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $113 | $118 | $65.03 |
| 9 | $389 | $125 | $56.00 | $65.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $96.33 | $52,800 | — |
| 8 | $195 | $86.53 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $88.50 | — | — |
| 7 | $181 | $86.40 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $58.80 | — | — |
| 6 | $80.96 | $675 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $4,588 | — | — |
| 5 | $900 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $80.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Nintendo Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Tropical Wind — FAQ
Is Tropical Wind worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tropical Wind sells for $1,319 against $211 raw: a $1,109 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($389) 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 Tropical Wind worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tropical Wind (Nintendo Black Star Promos 026) sells for about $1,319 versus $211 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tropical Wind?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,319, ahead of CGC 10 at $313. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tropical Wind 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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