Is Charizard VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Brilliant Stars · 174/172 · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR brings $222 versus $79.61 raw — a $142 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($94.44) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming.
- Raw (NM)
- $79.61
- PSA 10
- $222
- PSA 9
- $94.44
- Gem premium
- 2.8×
- As of
- Aug 17, 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 | $222 | +$117 | +$92.48 | −$7.52 |
| PSA 9 | $94.44 | −$10.17 | −$35.17 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $65.08 | −$39.53 | −$64.53 | −$165 |
Net = sale price − $79.61 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% | $126 | −$3.26 |
| 50% | $158 | +$28.65 |
| 75% | $190 | +$60.57 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $238 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $222 | −$16.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $153 | −$85.52 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $132 | −$106 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $111 | −$127 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
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 | $222 | $153 | $238 | $132 | $111 | $165 |
| 9.5 | — | $101 | $134 | $76.28 | — | — |
| 9 | $94.44 | $64.25 | $61.47 | $74.43 | $75.00 | $72.42 |
| 8.5 | — | $51.21 | $48.09 | $46.90 | $60.00 | — |
| 8 | $65.08 | $51.86 | $56.24 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $51.63 | — | $25.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $35.06 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $31.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $38.91 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $24.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | $38.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $79.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Charizard VSTAR — FAQ
Is Charizard VSTAR worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR brings $222 versus $79.61 raw — a $142 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($94.44) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming.
How much is a PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR (Brilliant Stars 174/172) sells for about $222 versus $79.61 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.8× premium as of Aug 17, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard VSTAR?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $238, ahead of PSA 10 at $222. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charizard VSTAR 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 Charizard VSTAR break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charizard VSTAR breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $94.44).
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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