Is Illumise worth grading?
Pokémon · Celestial Storm · 18/168 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 171× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Illumise sells for $70.00 against $0.41 raw: a $69.59 spread, 171× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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)
- $0.41
- PSA 10
- $70.00
- PSA 9
- $20.00
- Gem premium
- 171×
- 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 | $70.00 | +$44.59 | +$19.59 | −$80.41 |
| PSA 9 | $20.00 | −$5.41 | −$30.41 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $0.41 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% | $32.50 | −$17.91 |
| 50% | $45.00 | −$5.41 |
| 75% | $57.50 | +$7.09 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 61%. 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 | $70.00 | 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 | $70.00 |
| 9 | $20.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Celestial Storm cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Illumise — FAQ
Is Illumise worth grading?
A PSA 10 Illumise sells for $70.00 against $0.41 raw: a $69.59 spread, 171× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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 Illumise worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Illumise (Celestial Storm 18/168) sells for about $70.00 versus $0.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 171× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Illumise 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 Illumise break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Illumise breaks even when it gems about 61% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.00).
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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