Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 15× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $244 against $16.28 raw: a $227 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($34.78) 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)
- $16.28
- PSA 10
- $244
- PSA 9
- $34.78
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $244 | +$202 | +$177 | +$77.46 |
| PSA 9 | $34.78 | −$6.50 | −$31.50 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $21.03 | −$20.25 | −$45.25 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $16.28 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% | $87.02 | +$20.74 |
| 50% | $139 | +$72.98 |
| 75% | $192 | +$125 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $244 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.42 | −$193 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.98 | −$201 | 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 | $244 | $50.42 | — | $42.98 | — | $80.68 |
| 9.5 | — | $33.50 | $20.97 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $34.78 | $19.45 | — | — | $29.40 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $17.26 | — | — | $60.00 | — |
| 8 | $21.03 | $14.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $20.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $10.03 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $14.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other SWSH Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Pikachu VMAX — FAQ
Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $244 against $16.28 raw: a $227 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($34.78) 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 VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $244 versus $16.28 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu VMAX?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $244, ahead of CGC 10 at $50.42. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu VMAX 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 VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu VMAX breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $34.78).
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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