Is Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · Vivid Voltage · 132/185 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $175 against $1.71 raw: a $174 spread, 103× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($27.61) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.71
- PSA 10
- $175
- PSA 9
- $27.61
- Gem premium
- 103×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $175 | +$149 | +$124 | +$23.76 |
| PSA 9 | $27.61 | +$0.90 | −$24.10 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $11.50 | −$15.21 | −$40.21 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.71 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% | $64.58 | +$12.87 |
| 50% | $102 | +$49.83 |
| 75% | $139 | +$86.79 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $175 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $81.00 | −$94.47 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $71.00 | −$104 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $33.62 | −$142 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $47.30 | $33.00 | $71.00 | $81.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $37.22 | $10.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $9.06 | $5.96 | $8.86 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $3.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $11.55 | $4.00 | — | — | $20.24 |
| 7.5 | — | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $7.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $9.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Vivid Voltage cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $175 against $1.71 raw: a $174 spread, 103× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($27.61) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (Vivid Voltage 132/185) sells for about $175 versus $1.71 for a raw near-mint copy — a 103× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $175, ahead of TAG 10 at $81.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.61).
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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