Is Pikachu ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 238/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex sells for $937 against $303 raw: a $635 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($294) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $303
- PSA 10
- $937
- PSA 9
- $294
- Gem premium
- 3.1×
- 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 | $937 | +$610 | +$585 | +$485 |
| PSA 9 | $294 | −$33.64 | −$58.64 | −$159 |
| PSA 8 | $278 | −$49.90 | −$74.90 | −$175 |
Net = sale price − $303 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% | $455 | +$102 |
| 50% | $616 | +$263 |
| 75% | $777 | +$424 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $2,101 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| SGC 10 | $1,000 | −$1,101 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $950 | −$1,151 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $937 | −$1,163 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $388 | −$1,713 | 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 | $937 | $388 | $2,101 | $1,000 | $950 | $586 |
| 9.5 | — | $269 | $477 | $382 | — | — |
| 9 | $294 | $265 | $295 | $235 | $328 | $281 |
| 8.5 | $261 | $274 | $252 | — | $293 | — |
| 8 | $278 | $260 | — | $238 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $200 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $277 | $222 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | — | $240 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $256 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $200 | — | — | — | — | — |
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
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Grading Pikachu ex — FAQ
Is Pikachu ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex sells for $937 against $303 raw: a $635 spread, 3.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($294) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. 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 238/191) sells for about $937 versus $303 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu ex?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,101, ahead of SGC 10 at $1,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu ex need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $294).
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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