Is Lugia VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Silver Tempest · 211/195 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lugia VSTAR sells for $170 against $27.48 raw: a $143 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.70) 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)
- $27.48
- PSA 10
- $170
- PSA 9
- $35.70
- Gem premium
- 6.2×
- 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 | $170 | +$118 | +$92.58 | −$7.42 |
| PSA 9 | $35.70 | −$16.78 | −$41.78 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $20.52 | −$31.96 | −$56.96 | −$157 |
Net = sale price − $27.48 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% | $69.29 | −$8.19 |
| 50% | $103 | +$25.40 |
| 75% | $136 | +$58.99 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 31%. 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 | $266 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $170 | −$95.86 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $125 | −$141 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $75.72 | −$190 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $69.82 | −$196 | 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 | $170 | $75.72 | $266 | $69.82 | $125 | $93.69 |
| 9.5 | — | $41.16 | $46.67 | $27.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $35.70 | $29.16 | $19.99 | $15.00 | $35.74 | $34.47 |
| 8.5 | — | $13.05 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $20.52 | $14.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $19.95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $11.03 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | — | $12.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $15.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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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 $170 against $27.48 raw: a $143 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.70) 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 211/195) sells for about $170 versus $27.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.2× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia VSTAR?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $266, ahead of PSA 10 at $170. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia VSTAR 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 Lugia VSTAR break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia VSTAR breaks even when it gems about 31% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.70).
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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