Is Raikou-GX worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM121 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Raikou-GX sells for $283 against $9.39 raw: a $274 spread, 30× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($45.11) 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)
- $9.39
- PSA 10
- $283
- PSA 9
- $45.11
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $283 | +$249 | +$224 | +$124 |
| PSA 9 | $45.11 | +$10.72 | −$14.28 | −$114 |
| PSA 8 | $17.23 | −$17.16 | −$42.16 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $9.39 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% | $105 | +$45.24 |
| 50% | $164 | +$105 |
| 75% | $224 | +$164 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $283 | 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 | BGS | SGC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $283 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | $31.00 |
| 9 | $45.11 | $9.00 | — | $6.00 |
| 8.5 | — | — | $19.00 | — |
| 8 | $17.23 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $34.84 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $6.50 | — | — | — |
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 Raikou-GX — FAQ
Is Raikou-GX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Raikou-GX sells for $283 against $9.39 raw: a $274 spread, 30× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($45.11) 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 Raikou-GX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Raikou-GX (SM Black Star Promos SM121) sells for about $283 versus $9.39 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Raikou-GX 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 Raikou-GX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Raikou-GX breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $45.11).
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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