Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 190 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 22× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $235 against $10.50 raw: a $225 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($32.15) 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)
- $10.50
- PSA 10
- $235
- PSA 9
- $32.15
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $235 | +$200 | +$175 | +$74.73 |
| PSA 9 | $32.15 | −$3.35 | −$28.35 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $24.57 | −$10.93 | −$35.93 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $10.50 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% | $82.92 | +$22.42 |
| 50% | $134 | +$73.19 |
| 75% | $184 | +$124 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $235 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $110 | −$125 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $36.32 | −$199 | 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 | $235 | $36.32 | — | $110 | $72.47 |
| 9.5 | — | $17.87 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $32.15 | $15.81 | $22.51 | $19.99 | $37.79 |
| 8.5 | — | $9.67 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $24.57 | $19.92 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $9.98 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $14.42 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $5.01 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $6.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $21.05 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $15.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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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 $235 against $10.50 raw: a $225 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($32.15) 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 190) sells for about $235 versus $10.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $235, ahead of TAG 10 at $110. 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 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $32.15).
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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