Is ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a worth grading?
Garbage Pail Kids · 2021 Garbage Pail Kids Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a sells for $100 against $17.50 raw: a $82.50 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $17.50
- PSA 10
- $100
- PSA 9
- $15.50
- Gem premium
- 5.7×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $100 | +$57.50 | +$32.50 | −$67.50 |
| PSA 9 | $15.50 | −$27.00 | −$52.00 | −$152 |
Net = sale price − $17.50 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% | $36.63 | −$30.88 |
| 50% | $57.75 | −$9.75 |
| 75% | $78.88 | +$11.38 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $100 | −$30.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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 | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $100 | $60.00 | $130 | $60.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $17.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $15.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a — FAQ
Is ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a worth grading?
A PSA 10 ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a sells for $100 against $17.50 raw: a $82.50 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a (2021 Garbage Pail Kids Chrome) sells for about $100 versus $17.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.7× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $100. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting ALIEN IAN [Prism] #138a breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.50).
Is your Garbage Pail Kids 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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