Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Crown Zenith · 160/159 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $272 against $47.49 raw: a $224 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($68.01) 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)
- $47.49
- PSA 10
- $272
- PSA 9
- $68.01
- Gem premium
- 5.7×
- 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 | $272 | +$199 | +$174 | +$74.04 |
| PSA 9 | $68.01 | −$4.48 | −$29.48 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $42.72 | −$29.77 | −$54.77 | −$155 |
Net = sale price − $47.49 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% | $119 | +$21.40 |
| 50% | $170 | +$72.28 |
| 75% | $221 | +$123 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $515 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| TAG 10 | $302 | −$214 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $272 | −$244 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $151 | −$364 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $115 | −$401 | 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 | $272 | $115 | $515 | $151 | $302 | $168 |
| 9.5 | — | $85.77 | $164 | $14.99 | — | — |
| 9 | $68.01 | $48.31 | $57.94 | $29.45 | $73.13 | $65.76 |
| 8.5 | $20.00 | $32.50 | $27.20 | $44.92 | $71.65 | — |
| 8 | $42.72 | $38.40 | $35.05 | $11.00 | $49.97 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $22.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $44.63 | $21.86 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $27.11 | — | — | — | — | $67.92 |
| 5 | $25.54 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Crown Zenith cards worth checking
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Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $272 against $47.49 raw: a $224 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($68.01) 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 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (Crown Zenith 160/159) sells for about $272 versus $47.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.7× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $515, ahead of TAG 10 at $302. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $68.01).
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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