Is Blaziken VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · Chilling Reign · 201/198 · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 Blaziken VMAX brings $744 versus $384 raw — a $359 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($344) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
- Raw (NM)
- $384
- PSA 10
- $744
- PSA 9
- $344
- Gem premium
- 1.9×
- 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 | $744 | +$334 | +$309 | +$209 |
| PSA 9 | $344 | −$65.89 | −$90.89 | −$191 |
| PSA 8 | $291 | −$118 | −$143 | −$243 |
Net = sale price − $384 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% | $444 | +$9.15 |
| 50% | $544 | +$109 |
| 75% | $644 | +$209 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 23%. 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 | $940 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $744 | −$196 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $636 | −$304 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| SGC 10 | $498 | −$442 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $488 | −$452 | 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 | $744 | $488 | $940 | $498 | $636 | $672 |
| 9.5 | — | $297 | $493 | $305 | — | — |
| 9 | $344 | $290 | $346 | $290 | — | $362 |
| 8.5 | — | $264 | $249 | $223 | $301 | — |
| 8 | $291 | — | $228 | — | — | — |
| 7 | — | $240 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $268 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | — | — | — | $120 | — | — |
| 3 | $140 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $199 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $200 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Chilling Reign cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Blaziken VMAX — FAQ
Is Blaziken VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Blaziken VMAX brings $744 versus $384 raw — a $359 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($344) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
How much is a PSA 10 Blaziken VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Blaziken VMAX (Chilling Reign 201/198) sells for about $744 versus $384 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.9× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Blaziken VMAX?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $940, ahead of PSA 10 at $744. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Blaziken 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 Blaziken VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Blaziken VMAX breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $344).
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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