Is Arceus VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Brilliant Stars · 176/172 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Arceus VSTAR sells for $83.22 against $14.41 raw: a $68.81 spread, 5.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.58) 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)
- $14.41
- PSA 10
- $83.22
- PSA 9
- $33.58
- Gem premium
- 5.8×
- 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 | $83.22 | +$43.81 | +$18.81 | −$81.19 |
| PSA 9 | $33.58 | −$5.83 | −$30.83 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $23.55 | −$15.86 | −$40.86 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $14.41 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% | $45.99 | −$18.42 |
| 50% | $58.40 | −$6.01 |
| 75% | $70.81 | +$6.40 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $111 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| TAG 10 | $90.16 | −$21.33 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $83.22 | −$28.27 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.80 | −$65.69 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $24.65 | −$86.84 | 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 | $83.22 | $45.80 | $111 | $24.65 | $90.16 | $34.22 |
| 9.5 | — | $13.84 | $21.60 | $11.04 | — | — |
| 9 | $33.58 | $19.12 | — | $9.00 | $24.95 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $20.74 | — | — | $18.99 | — |
| 8 | $23.55 | $13.97 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $8.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Brilliant Stars cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Arceus VSTAR — FAQ
Is Arceus VSTAR worth grading?
A PSA 10 Arceus VSTAR sells for $83.22 against $14.41 raw: a $68.81 spread, 5.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.58) 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 Arceus VSTAR worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Arceus VSTAR (Brilliant Stars 176/172) sells for about $83.22 versus $14.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.8× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Arceus VSTAR?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $111, ahead of TAG 10 at $90.16. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Arceus 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 Arceus VSTAR break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Arceus VSTAR breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.58).
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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