Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Temporal Forces · 051/162 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 649× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $227 against $0.35 raw: a $227 spread, 649× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.55) 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)
- $0.35
- PSA 10
- $227
- PSA 9
- $23.55
- Gem premium
- 649×
- As of
- Aug 11, 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 | $227 | +$202 | +$177 | +$76.73 |
| PSA 9 | $23.55 | −$1.80 | −$26.80 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $12.48 | −$12.87 | −$37.87 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $0.35 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% | $74.43 | +$24.08 |
| 50% | $125 | +$74.97 |
| 75% | $176 | +$126 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $570 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $425 | −$145 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.49 | −$525 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $290 | $45.49 | — | $450 | $82.57 |
| 9.5 | — | $18.00 | $50.08 | — | — |
| 9 | $22.89 | $17.71 | $20.51 | $35.03 | $25.33 |
| 8.5 | $31.00 | $24.99 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $17.43 | $16.00 | — | — | $28.51 |
| 7 | $16.21 | — | — | $19.99 | $4.58 |
| 6 | $12.50 | $10.00 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $11.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Temporal Forces cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $227 against $0.35 raw: a $227 spread, 649× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.55) 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 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (Temporal Forces 051/162) sells for about $227 versus $0.35 for a raw near-mint copy — a 649× premium as of Aug 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $570, ahead of PSA 10 at $425. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.55).
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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