Is Lugia VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Silver Tempest · 139/195 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR sells for $115 against $6.85 raw: a $108 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.84) 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)
- $6.85
- PSA 10
- $115
- PSA 9
- $28.84
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $115 | +$82.94 | +$57.94 | −$42.06 |
| PSA 9 | $28.84 | −$3.01 | −$28.01 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $21.92 | −$9.93 | −$34.93 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $6.85 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% | $50.33 | −$6.52 |
| 50% | $71.81 | +$14.97 |
| 75% | $93.30 | +$36.45 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 33%. 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 | $115 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $81.12 | −$33.67 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $28.90 | −$85.89 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $22.88 | −$91.91 | 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 | $52.29 | $21.17 | $81.12 | $22.88 | — | $56.09 |
| 9.5 | — | $27.68 | $15.05 | $15.50 | — | — |
| 9 | $21.31 | $15.00 | $14.92 | $10.00 | $33.94 | $26.70 |
| 8.5 | — | $12.37 | $13.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $13.16 | — | — | — | $20.00 | $26.61 |
| 7.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $29.85 | $4.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $8.97 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Silver Tempest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Lugia VSTAR — FAQ
Is Lugia VSTAR worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR sells for $115 against $6.85 raw: a $108 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.84) 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 Lugia VSTAR worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR (Silver Tempest 139/195) sells for about $115 versus $6.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia VSTAR?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $115, ahead of BGS 10 at $81.12. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 Lugia VSTAR break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia VSTAR breaks even when it gems about 33% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.84).
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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