Is Black Luster Soldier worth grading?
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Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Black Luster Soldier sells for $799 against $450 raw: a $349 spread, 1.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($726) 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)
- $450
- Grade 9.5
- $799
- PSA 9
- $726
- Gem premium
- 1.8×
- As of
- Aug 9, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $799 | +$324 | +$299 | +$199 |
| PSA 9 | $726 | +$251 | +$226 | +$126 |
| PSA 8 | $660 | +$185 | +$160 | +$60.00 |
Net = sale price − $450 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% | $744 | +$244 |
| 50% | $763 | +$263 |
| 75% | $781 | +$281 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $799 |
| 9 | $726 |
| 8 | $660 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Black Luster Soldier — FAQ
Is Black Luster Soldier worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Black Luster Soldier sells for $799 against $450 raw: a $349 spread, 1.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($726) 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.
Is your Yu-Gi-Oh! 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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