Is Pikachu ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Surging Sparks · 247/191 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu ex sells for $396 against $96.25 raw: a $299 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($99.75) 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)
- $96.25
- PSA 10
- $396
- PSA 9
- $99.75
- Gem premium
- 4.1×
- 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 | $396 | +$274 | +$249 | +$149 |
| PSA 9 | $99.75 | −$21.50 | −$46.50 | −$147 |
| PSA 8 | $79.99 | −$41.26 | −$66.26 | −$166 |
Net = sale price − $96.25 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% | $174 | +$27.47 |
| 50% | $248 | +$101 |
| 75% | $322 | +$175 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $396 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $324 | −$71.93 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $262 | −$133 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $158 | −$238 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $146 | −$249 | 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 | $396 | $158 | $262 | $146 | $324 | $175 |
| 9.5 | — | $90.82 | $169 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $99.75 | $77.24 | $86.11 | $47.62 | $87.47 | $93.44 |
| 8.5 | — | — | $54.77 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $79.99 | $43.48 | — | — | $65.00 | — |
| 7 | $75.83 | $81.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $39.27 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 $396 against $96.25 raw: a $299 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($99.75) 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 247/191) sells for about $396 versus $96.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $396, ahead of TAG 10 at $324. 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 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $99.75).
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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