Is Choice Band worth grading?
Pokémon · Burning Shadows · 162/147 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 10× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Choice Band sells for $48.21 against $4.67 raw: a $43.54 spread, 10× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.14) 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)
- $4.67
- PSA 10
- $48.21
- PSA 9
- $17.14
- Gem premium
- 10×
- 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 | $48.21 | +$18.54 | −$6.46 | −$106 |
| PSA 9 | $17.14 | −$12.53 | −$37.53 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $5.00 | −$24.67 | −$49.67 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $4.67 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% | $24.91 | −$29.76 |
| 50% | $32.67 | −$22.00 |
| 75% | $40.44 | −$14.23 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $48.21 | best | 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 |
|---|---|
| 10 | $48.21 |
| 9 | $17.14 |
| 8 | $5.00 |
| 7 | $10.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Burning Shadows cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Choice Band — FAQ
Is Choice Band worth grading?
A PSA 10 Choice Band sells for $48.21 against $4.67 raw: a $43.54 spread, 10× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.14) 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 Choice Band worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Choice Band (Burning Shadows 162/147) sells for about $48.21 versus $4.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 10× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Choice Band 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.
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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