Is Acerola worth grading?
Pokémon · Burning Shadows · 142/147 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Acerola sells for $887 against $51.33 raw: a $835 spread, 17× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($81.29) 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)
- $51.33
- PSA 10
- $887
- PSA 9
- $81.29
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $887 | +$810 | +$785 | +$685 |
| PSA 9 | $81.29 | +$4.96 | −$20.04 | −$120 |
| PSA 8 | $68.54 | −$7.79 | −$32.79 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $51.33 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% | $283 | +$181 |
| 50% | $484 | +$383 |
| 75% | $685 | +$584 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $887 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $450 | −$437 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $280 | −$607 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $887 | $280 | $450 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $56.63 | — | — |
| 9 | $81.29 | $60.58 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $34.97 | — | — |
| 8 | $68.54 | $31.53 | — | $25.79 |
| 7.5 | — | $30.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $34.40 | $33.00 | $21.00 | — |
| 6 | $19.25 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $27.26 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $13.00 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $14.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Burning Shadows cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Acerola — FAQ
Is Acerola worth grading?
A PSA 10 Acerola sells for $887 against $51.33 raw: a $835 spread, 17× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($81.29) 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 Acerola worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Acerola (Burning Shadows 142/147) sells for about $887 versus $51.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Acerola?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $887, ahead of SGC 10 at $450. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Acerola 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.
What gem rate makes grading Acerola break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Acerola breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $81.29).
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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