Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Vivid Voltage · 044/185 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.6× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $99.08 against $12.99 raw: a $86.09 spread, 7.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.97) 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)
- $12.99
- PSA 10
- $99.08
- PSA 9
- $27.97
- Gem premium
- 7.6×
- 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 | $99.08 | +$61.09 | +$36.09 | −$63.91 |
| PSA 9 | $27.97 | −$10.02 | −$35.02 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $24.81 | −$13.18 | −$38.18 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $12.99 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% | $45.75 | −$17.24 |
| 50% | $63.52 | +$0.53 |
| 75% | $81.30 | +$18.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 | $110 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| BGS 10 | $99.71 | −$10.29 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.08 | −$10.92 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.55 | −$61.45 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $30.80 | −$79.20 | 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 | $55.08 | $19.35 | $99.71 | $24.62 | $110 | $81.17 |
| 9.5 | $35.00 | $24.00 | $31.87 | $4.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $23.13 | $15.47 | $68.98 | $20.00 | $32.00 | $28.20 |
| 8.5 | — | $8.00 | $7.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $15.67 | $11.00 | — | — | — | $26.99 |
| 7.5 | — | $7.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $9.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $19.91 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Vivid Voltage cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu VMAX — FAQ
Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $99.08 against $12.99 raw: a $86.09 spread, 7.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.97) 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 VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX (Vivid Voltage 044/185) sells for about $99.08 versus $12.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu VMAX?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $110, ahead of BGS 10 at $99.71. 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 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.97).
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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