Is Darkrai VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Astral Radiance · 099/189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 25× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Darkrai VSTAR sells for $57.80 against $2.27 raw: a $55.53 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.80) 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)
- $2.27
- PSA 10
- $57.80
- PSA 9
- $18.80
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $57.80 | +$30.53 | +$5.53 | −$94.47 |
| PSA 9 | $18.80 | −$8.47 | −$33.47 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $8.11 | −$19.16 | −$44.16 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $2.27 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% | $28.55 | −$23.72 |
| 50% | $38.30 | −$13.97 |
| 75% | $48.05 | −$4.22 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 86%. 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 | $57.80 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $22.06 | −$35.74 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $15.45 | −$42.35 | 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.
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Grading Darkrai VSTAR — FAQ
Is Darkrai VSTAR worth grading?
A PSA 10 Darkrai VSTAR sells for $57.80 against $2.27 raw: a $55.53 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.80) 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 Darkrai VSTAR worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darkrai VSTAR (Astral Radiance 099/189) sells for about $57.80 versus $2.27 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Darkrai VSTAR?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $57.80, ahead of CGC 10 at $22.06. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Darkrai VSTAR 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 Darkrai VSTAR break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Darkrai VSTAR breaks even when it gems about 86% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.80).
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