Is Tapu Koko worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM30 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 1029× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tapu Koko sells for $700 against $0.68 raw: a $699 spread, 1029× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) 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)
- $0.68
- PSA 10
- $700
- PSA 9
- $15.00
- Gem premium
- 1029×
- 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 | $700 | +$674 | +$649 | +$549 |
| PSA 9 | $15.00 | −$10.68 | −$35.68 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $4.00 | −$21.68 | −$46.68 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $0.68 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% | $186 | +$136 |
| 50% | $358 | +$307 |
| 75% | $529 | +$478 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $700 | 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 |
|---|---|
| 10 | $700 |
| 9 | $15.00 |
| 8 | $4.00 |
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 Tapu Koko — FAQ
Is Tapu Koko worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tapu Koko sells for $700 against $0.68 raw: a $699 spread, 1029× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) 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 Tapu Koko worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tapu Koko (SM Black Star Promos SM30) sells for about $700 versus $0.68 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1029× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Tapu Koko 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 Tapu Koko break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tapu Koko breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.00).
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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