Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Lost Origin Trainer Gallery · TG29/TG30 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $146 against $25.11 raw: a $120 spread, 5.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.25) 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)
- $25.11
- PSA 10
- $146
- PSA 9
- $35.25
- Gem premium
- 5.8×
- 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 | $146 | +$95.48 | +$70.48 | −$29.52 |
| PSA 9 | $35.25 | −$14.86 | −$39.86 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $24.70 | −$25.41 | −$50.41 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $25.11 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% | $62.84 | −$12.27 |
| 50% | $90.42 | +$15.31 |
| 75% | $118 | +$42.89 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 36%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $150 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $146 | −$4.21 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $128 | −$21.89 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $80.19 | −$69.61 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $17.94 | −$132 | 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 | $146 | $80.19 | $150 | $17.94 | $128 | $77.13 |
| 9.5 | $69.99 | $45.96 | $66.50 | $19.16 | — | — |
| 9 | $35.25 | $26.82 | $16.08 | $39.45 | $34.10 | $46.55 |
| 8.5 | — | $20.50 | $52.00 | $14.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $24.70 | $22.00 | — | — | $20.00 | — |
| 7 | $19.56 | — | — | — | $1.66 | — |
| 6 | $15.61 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Lost Origin Trainer Gallery cards worth checking
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Grading Pikachu VMAX — FAQ
Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $146 against $25.11 raw: a $120 spread, 5.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.25) 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 VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX (Lost Origin Trainer Gallery TG29/TG30) sells for about $146 versus $25.11 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.8× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu VMAX?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $150, ahead of PSA 10 at $146. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu VMAX need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu VMAX breaks even when it gems about 36% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.25).
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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