Is Whimsicott VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Brilliant Stars · 175/172 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 25× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Whimsicott VSTAR sells for $150 against $6.01 raw: a $144 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.50) 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)
- $6.01
- PSA 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $27.50
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $150 | +$119 | +$93.55 | −$6.45 |
| PSA 9 | $27.50 | −$3.51 | −$28.51 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $19.15 | −$11.86 | −$36.86 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $6.01 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% | $58.02 | +$2.01 |
| 50% | $88.53 | +$32.52 |
| 75% | $119 | +$63.03 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $150 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $20.01 | −$130 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $150 | $20.01 | $37.64 |
| 9.5 | — | $9.98 | — |
| 9 | $27.50 | $15.33 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $7.99 | — |
| 8 | $19.15 | — | — |
| 6 | $5.35 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Brilliant Stars cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Whimsicott VSTAR — FAQ
Is Whimsicott VSTAR worth grading?
A PSA 10 Whimsicott VSTAR sells for $150 against $6.01 raw: a $144 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.50) 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 Whimsicott VSTAR worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Whimsicott VSTAR (Brilliant Stars 175/172) sells for about $150 versus $6.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Whimsicott VSTAR?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $150, ahead of CGC 10 at $20.01. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Whimsicott VSTAR need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Whimsicott VSTAR break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Whimsicott VSTAR breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.50).
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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