Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $481 against $9.40 raw: a $472 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.25) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $9.40
- PSA 10
- $481
- PSA 9
- $40.25
- Gem premium
- 51×
- 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 | $481 | +$447 | +$422 | +$322 |
| PSA 9 | $40.25 | +$5.85 | −$19.15 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $25.16 | −$9.24 | −$34.24 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $9.40 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% | $151 | +$91.13 |
| 50% | $261 | +$201 |
| 75% | $371 | +$312 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $481 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $185 | −$297 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $68.72 | −$413 | 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 | $481 | $68.72 | — | — | $185 | $182 |
| 9.5 | $14.49 | $30.79 | $84.30 | $27.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $40.25 | $10.86 | $12.27 | — | $26.00 | $41.68 |
| 8.5 | $44.85 | $8.09 | $41.95 | — | $9.99 | — |
| 8 | $25.16 | $9.16 | — | — | $25.00 | $25.30 |
| 7.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $15.56 | $18.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $9.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $11.24 | $9.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $11.89 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $12.49 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 $481 against $9.40 raw: a $472 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.25) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. 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 $481 versus $9.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 51× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $481, ahead of TAG 10 at $185. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.25).
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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