Is Starly worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet · 221/198 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 20× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Starly sells for $294 against $14.96 raw: a $279 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.07) 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)
- $14.96
- PSA 10
- $294
- PSA 9
- $24.07
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $294 | +$254 | +$229 | +$129 |
| PSA 9 | $24.07 | −$15.89 | −$40.89 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $8.35 | −$31.61 | −$56.61 | −$157 |
Net = sale price − $14.96 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% | $91.58 | +$26.62 |
| 50% | $159 | +$94.13 |
| 75% | $227 | +$162 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $294 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $20.65 | −$273 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $294 | $20.65 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $14.94 | — | — |
| 9 | $24.07 | $8.40 | $10.00 | $35.72 |
| 8.5 | — | $7.98 | — | — |
| 8 | $8.35 | $10.98 | — | — |
| 7 | $7.50 | — | — | — |
| 5 | — | $3.25 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Scarlet & Violet cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Starly — FAQ
Is Starly worth grading?
A PSA 10 Starly sells for $294 against $14.96 raw: a $279 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.07) 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 Starly worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Starly (Scarlet & Violet 221/198) sells for about $294 versus $14.96 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Starly?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $294, ahead of CGC 10 at $20.65. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Starly 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 Starly break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Starly breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.07).
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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