Is Starly #221 worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Starly #221 sells for $275 against $15.46 raw: a $260 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.95) 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)
- $15.46
- PSA 10
- $275
- PSA 9
- $22.95
- Gem premium
- 18×
- As of
- Sep 22, 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 | $275 | +$235 | +$210 | +$110 |
| PSA 9 | $22.95 | −$17.51 | −$42.51 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $20.25 | −$20.21 | −$45.21 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $15.46 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% | $85.96 | +$20.50 |
| 50% | $149 | +$83.51 |
| 75% | $212 | +$147 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $358 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $275 | −$83.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $165 | −$193 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.86 | −$321 | 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.
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Other Pokemon Scarlet & Violet cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Starly #221 — FAQ
Is Starly #221 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Starly #221 sells for $275 against $15.46 raw: a $260 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.95) 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 Starly #221 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Starly #221 (Pokemon Scarlet & Violet) sells for about $275 versus $15.46 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Sep 22, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Starly #221?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $358, ahead of PSA 10 at $275. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Starly #221 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 Starly #221 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Starly #221 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.95).
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