Is Heatran worth grading?
Pokémon · SM Black Star Promos · SM96 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Heatran sells for $2,000 against $3.32 raw: a $1,997 spread, 602× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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)
- $3.32
- PSA 10
- $2,000
- PSA 9
- $49.99
- Gem premium
- 602×
- 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 | $2,000 | +$1,972 | +$1,947 | +$1,847 |
| PSA 9 | $49.99 | +$21.67 | −$3.33 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $6.50 | −$21.82 | −$46.82 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $3.32 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% | $537 | +$484 |
| 50% | $1,025 | +$972 |
| 75% | $1,512 | +$1,459 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $2,000 | 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 | $2,000 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | $83.00 |
| 9 | $32.00 | $4.01 | — |
| 8 | $44.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other SM Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Heatran — FAQ
Is Heatran worth grading?
A PSA 10 Heatran sells for $2,000 against $3.32 raw: a $1,997 spread, 602× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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 Heatran worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Heatran (SM Black Star Promos SM96) sells for about $2,000 versus $3.32 for a raw near-mint copy — a 602× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Heatran 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 Heatran break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Heatran breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.99).
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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