Is Cynthia's Ambition worth grading?
Pokémon · Brilliant Stars · 169/172 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Cynthia's Ambition sells for $84.89 against $11.85 raw: a $73.04 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.16) 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)
- $11.85
- PSA 10
- $84.89
- PSA 9
- $33.16
- Gem premium
- 7.2×
- 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 | $84.89 | +$48.04 | +$23.04 | −$76.96 |
| PSA 9 | $33.16 | −$3.69 | −$28.69 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $20.90 | −$15.95 | −$40.95 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $11.85 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% | $46.09 | −$15.76 |
| 50% | $59.02 | −$2.83 |
| 75% | $71.96 | +$10.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 55%. 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 | $110 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.89 | −$25.11 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $70.61 | −$39.39 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $39.08 | −$70.92 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $29.38 | −$80.62 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $84.89 | $39.08 | $110 | $29.38 | $70.61 |
| 9.5 | — | $15.30 | — | $39.82 | — |
| 9 | $33.16 | $16.48 | $13.50 | — | $14.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $11.56 | $13.50 | — | $10.50 |
| 8 | $20.90 | $6.00 | $13.46 | $7.50 | — |
| 7 | $13.90 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $4.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Brilliant Stars cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Cynthia's Ambition — FAQ
Is Cynthia's Ambition worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cynthia's Ambition sells for $84.89 against $11.85 raw: a $73.04 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.16) 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 Cynthia's Ambition worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cynthia's Ambition (Brilliant Stars 169/172) sells for about $84.89 versus $11.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.2× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cynthia's Ambition?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $110, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.89. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cynthia's Ambition 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 Cynthia's Ambition break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cynthia's Ambition breaks even when it gems about 55% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.16).
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.
Check my card free