Is Champions Festival worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM148 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Champions Festival sells for $1,599 against $250 raw: a $1,349 spread, 6.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($283) 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)
- $250
- PSA 10
- $1,599
- PSA 9
- $283
- Gem premium
- 6.4×
- 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 | $1,599 | +$1,324 | +$1,299 | +$1,199 |
| PSA 9 | $283 | +$8.50 | −$16.50 | −$117 |
| PSA 8 | $306 | +$30.52 | +$5.52 | −$94.48 |
Net = sale price − $250 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% | $612 | +$312 |
| 50% | $941 | +$641 |
| 75% | $1,270 | +$970 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $1,606 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $159 | −$1,447 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,606 | $159 |
| 9.5 | — | $151 |
| 9 | $276 | $309 |
| 8.5 | — | $144 |
| 8 | $399 | $97.22 |
| 7.5 | $180 | — |
| 6 | — | $52.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other SM Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Champions Festival — FAQ
Is Champions Festival worth grading?
A PSA 10 Champions Festival sells for $1,599 against $250 raw: a $1,349 spread, 6.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($283) 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 Champions Festival worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Champions Festival (SM Black Star Promos SM148) sells for about $1,599 versus $250 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.4× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Champions Festival?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,606, ahead of CGC 10 at $159. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Champions Festival 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 Champions Festival break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Champions Festival breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $283).
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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