Is Flareon worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM186 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 14× premium in BGS 9
A BGS 9 Flareon sells for $50.00 against $3.54 raw: a $46.46 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.96) 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)
- $3.54
- BGS 9
- $50.00
- PSA 9
- $20.96
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 — BGS 9 | $50.00 | +$21.46 | −$3.54 | −$104 |
| PSA 9 | $20.96 | −$7.58 | −$32.58 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $3.54 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% | $28.22 | −$25.32 |
| 50% | $35.48 | −$18.06 |
| 75% | $42.74 | −$10.80 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $23.00 | 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 | CGC | BGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $23.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $3.25 | — |
| 9 | $20.96 | — | $50.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Flareon — FAQ
Is Flareon worth grading?
A BGS 9 Flareon sells for $50.00 against $3.54 raw: a $46.46 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.96) 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.
What centering does Flareon need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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.
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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