Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $787 against $110 raw: a $677 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($122) 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)
- $110
- PSA 10
- $787
- PSA 9
- $122
- Gem premium
- 7.1×
- 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 | $787 | +$652 | +$627 | +$527 |
| PSA 9 | $122 | −$13.08 | −$38.08 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $92.95 | −$42.45 | −$67.45 | −$167 |
Net = sale price − $110 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% | $289 | +$128 |
| 50% | $455 | +$294 |
| 75% | $621 | +$461 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $1,200 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $787 | −$413 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $247 | −$953 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $234 | −$966 | 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 | $787 | $234 | $247 | — | $1,200 | $414 |
| 9.5 | — | $58.91 | $268 | $26.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $122 | $86.94 | $40.00 | $43.00 | $85.00 | $140 |
| 8.5 | — | $89.04 | $72.96 | — | $64.96 | — |
| 8 | $92.95 | $33.39 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $20.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $76.81 | — | — | — | — | $70.24 |
| 6.5 | — | $62.40 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $20.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $60.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $140 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other SWSH Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $787 against $110 raw: a $677 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($122) 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 Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $787 versus $110 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $1,200, ahead of PSA 10 at $787. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $122).
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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