Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM04 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $72.33 against $10.87 raw: a $61.46 spread, 6.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.10) 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)
- $10.87
- PSA 10
- $72.33
- PSA 9
- $25.10
- Gem premium
- 6.7×
- 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 | $72.33 | +$36.46 | +$11.46 | −$88.54 |
| PSA 9 | $25.10 | −$10.77 | −$35.77 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $20.67 | −$15.20 | −$40.20 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $10.87 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% | $36.91 | −$23.96 |
| 50% | $48.72 | −$12.15 |
| 75% | $60.52 | −$0.35 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 76%. 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 | $2,560 | 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 | CGC | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,560 | — | — |
| 9 | $251 | $26.00 | $55.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $10.39 | — |
| 8 | $20.50 | $22.91 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $14.00 | — |
| 7 | $39.97 | $5.50 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $6.00 | — |
| 6 | $25.00 | $13.44 | — |
| 5.5 | — | $6.50 | — |
| 5 | $49.99 | — | — |
| 4 | $13.00 | — | — |
| 3 | $30.00 | — | — |
| 2 | $20.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other SM Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $72.33 against $10.87 raw: a $61.46 spread, 6.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.10) 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 Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (SM Black Star Promos SM04) sells for about $72.33 versus $10.87 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.7× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Pikachu 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 Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 76% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.10).
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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