Is Blastoise-GX worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Blastoise-GX sells for $390 against $21.93 raw: a $368 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.16) 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)
- $21.93
- PSA 10
- $390
- PSA 9
- $41.16
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $390 | +$343 | +$318 | +$218 |
| PSA 9 | $41.16 | −$5.77 | −$30.77 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $27.77 | −$19.16 | −$44.16 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $21.93 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% | $128 | +$56.34 |
| 50% | $215 | +$143 |
| 75% | $302 | +$231 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $550 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $390 | −$160 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $300 | −$250 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $29.96 | −$520 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $390 | $29.96 | $550 | — | $300 |
| 9 | $41.16 | $23.86 | — | $15.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $36.88 | — | $15.00 | — |
| 8 | $27.77 | $24.93 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $18.66 | $8.00 | — | — | — |
| 2.5 | — | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $40.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Blastoise-GX — FAQ
Is Blastoise-GX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Blastoise-GX sells for $390 against $21.93 raw: a $368 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.16) 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 Blastoise-GX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Blastoise-GX (SM Black Star Promos SM189) sells for about $390 versus $21.93 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Blastoise-GX?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $550, ahead of PSA 10 at $390. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Blastoise-GX need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Blastoise-GX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Blastoise-GX breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $41.16).
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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