Is Shining Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM82 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shining Lugia sells for $2,425 against $108 raw: a $2,317 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($300) 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)
- $108
- PSA 10
- $2,425
- PSA 9
- $300
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $2,425 | +$2,292 | +$2,267 | +$2,167 |
| PSA 9 | $300 | +$167 | +$142 | +$41.50 |
| PSA 8 | $147 | +$13.20 | −$11.80 | −$112 |
Net = sale price − $108 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% | $831 | +$673 |
| 50% | $1,363 | +$1,204 |
| 75% | $1,894 | +$1,736 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $2,425 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,000 | −$1,425 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $80.00 | −$2,345 | 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 | $2,425 | $1,000 | — | $80.00 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $169 | $430 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $300 | $207 | $213 | $190 | $320 | — |
| 8.5 | $203 | $46.94 | $22.00 | — | $99.03 | — |
| 8 | $147 | $38.71 | $54.00 | — | — | $106 |
| 7.5 | — | $27.61 | $99.00 | — | $111 | — |
| 7 | $119 | $23.15 | — | $60.00 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $29.94 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $98.38 | — | — | $55.00 | — | $49.45 |
| 5 | $60.39 | $43.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $65.13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | — | $5.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $79.95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $272 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Shining Lugia — FAQ
Is Shining Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shining Lugia sells for $2,425 against $108 raw: a $2,317 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($300) 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 Shining Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shining Lugia (SM Black Star Promos SM82) sells for about $2,425 versus $108 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shining Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,425, ahead of CGC 10 at $1,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shining Lugia 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.
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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