Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 101 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $603 against $35.83 raw: a $567 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.72) 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)
- $35.83
- PSA 10
- $603
- PSA 9
- $40.72
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $603 | +$542 | +$517 | +$417 |
| PSA 9 | $40.72 | −$20.11 | −$45.11 | −$145 |
| PSA 8 | $50.75 | −$10.08 | −$35.08 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $35.83 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% | $181 | +$95.40 |
| 50% | $322 | +$236 |
| 75% | $462 | +$376 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $603 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $305 | −$298 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $81.16 | −$522 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $33.71 | −$569 | 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 | $603 | $33.71 | $81.16 | $305 | $66.86 |
| 9.5 | — | $28.27 | $34.77 | — | — |
| 9 | $40.72 | $19.54 | $22.83 | $11.25 | — |
| 8.5 | $38.59 | $19.93 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $50.75 | $10.28 | $15.95 | — | $28.22 |
| 7.5 | — | $8.11 | $7.99 | — | — |
| 7 | $12.14 | $25.00 | $10.03 | — | $19.86 |
| 6.5 | — | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $8.61 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $15.32 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $16.47 | — | $12.99 | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | — | $12.99 | — | — |
| 2 | $35.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $603 against $35.83 raw: a $567 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.72) 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 (Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos 101) sells for about $603 versus $35.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $603, ahead of TAG 10 at $305. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.72).
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.
Check my card free