Is Pikachu ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 219/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex sells for $184 against $29.07 raw: a $155 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($38.98) 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)
- $29.07
- PSA 10
- $184
- PSA 9
- $38.98
- Gem premium
- 6.3×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $184 | +$130 | +$105 | +$4.98 |
| PSA 9 | $38.98 | −$15.09 | −$40.09 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $31.75 | −$22.32 | −$47.32 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $29.07 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% | $75.25 | −$3.82 |
| 50% | $112 | +$32.44 |
| 75% | $148 | +$68.71 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $184 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $174 | −$10.49 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $94.15 | −$89.90 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $94.00 | −$90.05 | 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 | $184 | $94.15 | — | $94.00 | $174 | $119 |
| 9.5 | — | $41.53 | $95.99 | $65.20 | — | — |
| 9 | $38.98 | $34.88 | $41.08 | $15.48 | $48.61 | $44.09 |
| 8.5 | $40.96 | $33.94 | $21.79 | — | $37.40 | — |
| 8 | $31.75 | $24.04 | — | — | $22.66 | — |
| 7 | $29.68 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $30.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $30.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $32.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Pikachu ex — FAQ
Is Pikachu ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex sells for $184 against $29.07 raw: a $155 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($38.98) 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 ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex (Surging Sparks 219/191) sells for about $184 versus $29.07 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.3× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $184, ahead of TAG 10 at $174. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu ex 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 Pikachu ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu ex breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $38.98).
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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