Is Pikachu ex #238 worth grading?
Pokémon · Pokemon Surging Sparks · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex #238 sells for $895 against $288 raw: a $607 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($285) 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)
- $288
- PSA 10
- $895
- PSA 9
- $285
- Gem premium
- 3.1×
- As of
- Aug 18, 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 | $895 | +$582 | +$557 | +$457 |
| PSA 9 | $285 | −$28.41 | −$53.41 | −$153 |
| PSA 8 | $262 | −$51.41 | −$76.41 | −$176 |
Net = sale price − $288 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% | $438 | +$99.09 |
| 50% | $590 | +$252 |
| 75% | $743 | +$404 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $1,949 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $895 | −$1,054 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $537 | −$1,412 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $387 | −$1,562 | 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 | $895 | $387 | $1,949 | $537 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $443 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $285 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $262 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $210 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Full set checklist →Grading Pikachu ex #238 — FAQ
Is Pikachu ex #238 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex #238 sells for $895 against $288 raw: a $607 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($285) 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 Pikachu ex #238 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex #238 (Pokemon Surging Sparks) sells for about $895 versus $288 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.1× premium as of Aug 18, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu ex #238?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,949, ahead of PSA 10 at $895. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu ex #238 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 Pikachu ex #238 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu ex #238 breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $285).
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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