Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 088 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $234 against $24.96 raw: a $209 spread, 9.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($37.14) 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)
- $24.96
- PSA 10
- $234
- PSA 9
- $37.14
- Gem premium
- 9.4×
- 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 | $234 | +$184 | +$159 | +$58.96 |
| PSA 9 | $37.14 | −$12.82 | −$37.82 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $31.53 | −$18.43 | −$43.43 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $24.96 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% | $86.33 | +$11.37 |
| 50% | $136 | +$60.57 |
| 75% | $185 | +$110 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $246 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $234 | −$11.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.43 | −$163 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$201 | 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 | $234 | $82.43 | — | $45.00 | $246 | $237 |
| 9.5 | — | $39.02 | $73.42 | $22.97 | — | — |
| 9 | $37.14 | $26.14 | $42.50 | $8.07 | $35.61 | $45.94 |
| 8.5 | $14.59 | $14.79 | $34.91 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $31.53 | $19.99 | — | $17.00 | — | $15.00 |
| 7.5 | — | $15.60 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $21.00 | — | — | — | — | $40.08 |
| 6 | $34.87 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $19.34 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $234 against $24.96 raw: a $209 spread, 9.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($37.14) 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 088) sells for about $234 versus $24.96 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.4× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $246, ahead of PSA 10 at $234. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $37.14).
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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