Is Vaporeon-GX worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM172 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Vaporeon-GX sells for $85.76 against $11.28 raw: a $74.48 spread, 7.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.87) 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)
- $11.28
- PSA 10
- $85.76
- PSA 9
- $44.87
- Gem premium
- 7.6×
- 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 | $85.76 | +$49.48 | +$24.48 | −$75.52 |
| PSA 9 | $44.87 | +$8.59 | −$16.41 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $29.37 | −$6.91 | −$31.91 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $11.28 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% | $55.09 | −$6.19 |
| 50% | $65.31 | +$4.03 |
| 75% | $75.54 | +$14.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $181 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $51.56 | −$130 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $28.52 | −$153 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $181 | $28.52 | — | $51.56 | $91.91 |
| 9.5 | — | $21.95 | $26.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $19.00 | $21.74 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $17.95 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $17.69 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $8.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Vaporeon-GX — FAQ
Is Vaporeon-GX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Vaporeon-GX sells for $85.76 against $11.28 raw: a $74.48 spread, 7.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.87) 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 Vaporeon-GX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Vaporeon-GX (SM Black Star Promos SM172) sells for about $85.76 versus $11.28 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Vaporeon-GX?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $181, ahead of TAG 10 at $51.56. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Vaporeon-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 Vaporeon-GX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Vaporeon-GX breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.87).
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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