Is Pikachu & Zekrom-GX worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM248 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.0× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu & Zekrom-GX sells for $290 against $41.12 raw: a $248 spread, 7.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($65.45) 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)
- $41.12
- PSA 10
- $290
- PSA 9
- $65.45
- Gem premium
- 7.0×
- 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 | $290 | +$223 | +$198 | +$98.46 |
| PSA 9 | $65.45 | −$0.67 | −$25.67 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $36.41 | −$29.71 | −$54.71 | −$155 |
Net = sale price − $41.12 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% | $121 | +$30.36 |
| 50% | $178 | +$86.39 |
| 75% | $234 | +$142 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 11%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $346 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $290 | −$56.46 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $103 | −$243 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $94.14 | −$252 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| SGC 10 | $34.51 | −$312 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $290 | $77.83 | $94.14 | $34.51 | $346 | $175 |
| 9.5 | — | $48.00 | $134 | $11.99 | — | $89.99 |
| 9 | $26.40 | $35.41 | $49.99 | — | $60.31 | $57.47 |
| 8.5 | $35.09 | $34.70 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $22.00 | $17.19 | — | — | $50.01 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $21.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $36.45 | $21.60 | — | — | $27.04 | — |
| 6 | $25.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $62.00 | — | — | — | $15.00 | — |
| 4 | $15.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Pikachu & Zekrom-GX — FAQ
Is Pikachu & Zekrom-GX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu & Zekrom-GX sells for $290 against $41.12 raw: a $248 spread, 7.0× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($65.45) 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 Pikachu & Zekrom-GX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu & Zekrom-GX (SM Black Star Promos SM248) sells for about $290 versus $41.12 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.0× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu & Zekrom-GX?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $346, ahead of PSA 10 at $290. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu & Zekrom-GX need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 Pikachu & Zekrom-GX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu & Zekrom-GX breaks even when it gems about 11% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $65.45).
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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