Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Vivid Voltage · 188/185 · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX brings $320 versus $198 raw — a $122 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($171) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
- Raw (NM)
- $198
- PSA 10
- $320
- PSA 9
- $171
- Gem premium
- 1.6×
- 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 | $320 | +$97.12 | +$72.12 | −$27.88 |
| PSA 9 | $171 | −$51.84 | −$76.84 | −$177 |
| PSA 8 | $163 | −$59.46 | −$84.46 | −$184 |
Net = sale price − $198 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% | $208 | −$39.60 |
| 50% | $245 | −$2.36 |
| 75% | $282 | +$34.88 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $546 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $406 | −$140 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $320 | −$226 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $247 | −$299 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $162 | −$384 | 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 | $320 | $247 | $406 | $162 | $546 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $155 | $209 | $158 | — | — |
| 9 | $171 | $138 | $139 | $120 | $145 | $125 |
| 8.5 | — | $171 | $154 | — | $119 | — |
| 8 | $163 | $103 | — | $102 | — | — |
| 7 | $138 | — | — | $103 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | — | $77.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $129 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $71.08 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $150 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $60.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $130 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Vivid Voltage cards worth checking
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Grading Pikachu VMAX — FAQ
Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX brings $320 versus $198 raw — a $122 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($171) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
How much is a PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX (Vivid Voltage 188/185) sells for about $320 versus $198 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu VMAX?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $546, ahead of BGS 10 at $406. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu VMAX need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu VMAX breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $171).
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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