Is Charizard VSTAR worth grading?
Pokémon · Brilliant Stars · 018/172 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR sells for $117 against $12.82 raw: a $104 spread, 9.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($32.86) 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)
- $12.82
- PSA 10
- $117
- PSA 9
- $32.86
- Gem premium
- 9.1×
- 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 | $117 | +$78.91 | +$53.91 | −$46.09 |
| PSA 9 | $32.86 | −$4.96 | −$29.96 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $25.43 | −$12.39 | −$37.39 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $12.82 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% | $53.83 | −$8.99 |
| 50% | $74.80 | +$11.98 |
| 75% | $95.76 | +$32.94 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 36%. 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 | $140 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $117 | −$23.27 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $69.99 | −$70.01 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $48.72 | −$91.28 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.49 | −$106 | 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 | $55.91 | $23.56 | $140 | $34.49 | $69.99 | $67.09 |
| 9.5 | — | $24.91 | $19.00 | $46.48 | — | — |
| 9 | $20.82 | $16.86 | $21.50 | $12.89 | $23.50 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $9.00 | $90.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $13.98 | $22.91 | $11.38 | $6.00 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $10.00 | $20.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $15.82 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | — | $12.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $15.00 | $10.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $9.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $9.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Brilliant Stars cards worth checking
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Grading Charizard VSTAR — FAQ
Is Charizard VSTAR worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR sells for $117 against $12.82 raw: a $104 spread, 9.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($32.86) 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 Charizard VSTAR worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR (Brilliant Stars 018/172) sells for about $117 versus $12.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard VSTAR?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $140, ahead of PSA 10 at $117. 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 36% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $32.86).
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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