Is Butterfree VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Darkness Ablaze · 190/189 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Butterfree VMAX sells for $77.65 against $18.87 raw: a $58.78 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.37) 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)
- $18.87
- PSA 10
- $77.65
- PSA 9
- $23.37
- Gem premium
- 4.1×
- 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 | $77.65 | +$33.78 | +$8.78 | −$91.22 |
| PSA 9 | $23.37 | −$20.50 | −$45.50 | −$146 |
| PSA 8 | $32.00 | −$11.87 | −$36.87 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $18.87 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% | $36.94 | −$31.93 |
| 50% | $50.51 | −$18.36 |
| 75% | $64.08 | −$4.79 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 84%. 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 | $100 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $77.65 | −$22.35 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $20.72 | −$79.28 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $77.65 | $20.72 | $100 | $52.15 |
| 9.5 | — | $17.69 | $24.60 | — |
| 9 | $23.37 | $14.55 | $16.00 | $40.38 |
| 8.5 | — | $4.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $32.00 | $8.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $17.99 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Darkness Ablaze cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Butterfree VMAX — FAQ
Is Butterfree VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Butterfree VMAX sells for $77.65 against $18.87 raw: a $58.78 spread, 4.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.37) 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 Butterfree VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Butterfree VMAX (Darkness Ablaze 190/189) sells for about $77.65 versus $18.87 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Butterfree VMAX?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $100, ahead of PSA 10 at $77.65. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Butterfree 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 Butterfree VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Butterfree VMAX breaks even when it gems about 84% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.37).
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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