Is Iron Thorns worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 098 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Iron Thorns sells for $111 against $2.67 raw: a $108 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.57) 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)
- $2.67
- PSA 10
- $111
- PSA 9
- $15.57
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $111 | +$83.35 | +$58.35 | −$41.65 |
| PSA 9 | $15.57 | −$12.10 | −$37.10 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $17.55 | −$10.12 | −$35.12 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $2.67 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% | $39.43 | −$13.24 |
| 50% | $63.30 | +$10.63 |
| 75% | $87.16 | +$34.49 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $370 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $288 | −$82.40 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $18.00 | −$352 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $10.00 | −$360 | 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 | $288 | $18.00 | — | $10.00 | $370 | $154 |
| 9.5 | — | $10.17 | $22.00 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $46.71 | $22.30 | — | — | $9.46 | $30.83 |
| 8.5 | — | $2.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $29.94 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $12.35 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $6.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $29.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Iron Thorns — FAQ
Is Iron Thorns worth grading?
A PSA 10 Iron Thorns sells for $111 against $2.67 raw: a $108 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.57) 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 Iron Thorns worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Iron Thorns (Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos 098) sells for about $111 versus $2.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Iron Thorns?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $370, ahead of PSA 10 at $288. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Iron Thorns 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 Iron Thorns break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Iron Thorns breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.57).
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