Is Mesprit worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 204/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 11× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mesprit sells for $142 against $13.26 raw: a $129 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.13) 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)
- $13.26
- PSA 10
- $142
- PSA 9
- $22.13
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $142 | +$104 | +$78.93 | −$21.07 |
| PSA 9 | $22.13 | −$16.13 | −$41.13 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $13.90 | −$24.36 | −$49.36 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $13.26 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% | $52.14 | −$11.12 |
| 50% | $82.16 | +$18.90 |
| 75% | $112 | +$48.91 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 34%. 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 | $142 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $120 | −$22.30 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| SGC 10 | $84.38 | −$57.81 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.90 | −$110 | 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 | $142 | $31.90 | — | $84.38 | $120 | $61.21 |
| 9.5 | — | $16.01 | — | $13.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $22.13 | $13.09 | $20.01 | $12.02 | $25.99 | $32.92 |
| 8.5 | $15.00 | $15.00 | $10.00 | — | $21.23 | — |
| 8 | $13.90 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $6.28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $10.01 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $9.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Surging Sparks cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Mesprit — FAQ
Is Mesprit worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mesprit sells for $142 against $13.26 raw: a $129 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.13) 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 Mesprit worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mesprit (Surging Sparks 204/191) sells for about $142 versus $13.26 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mesprit?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $142, ahead of TAG 10 at $120. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mesprit 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 Mesprit break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mesprit breaks even when it gems about 34% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.13).
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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