Is Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $162 against $47.25 raw: a $114 spread, 3.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($43.53) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $47.25
- PSA 10
- $162
- PSA 9
- $43.53
- Gem premium
- 3.4×
- 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 | $162 | +$89.39 | +$64.39 | −$35.61 |
| PSA 9 | $43.53 | −$28.72 | −$53.72 | −$154 |
| PSA 8 | $32.11 | −$40.14 | −$65.14 | −$165 |
Net = sale price − $47.25 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% | $73.06 | −$24.19 |
| 50% | $103 | +$5.33 |
| 75% | $132 | +$34.86 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 45%. 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 | $162 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $55.29 | −$106 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $52.09 | −$110 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $160 | $52.09 | — | $55.29 |
| 9.5 | — | — | $137 | — |
| 9 | $45.82 | $216 | $300 | — |
| 8.5 | $22.00 | $185 | — | — |
| 8 | $32.11 | $14.01 | — | — |
| 7 | $17.48 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $32.82 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other SWSH Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $162 against $47.25 raw: a $114 spread, 3.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($43.53) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $162 versus $47.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.4× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $162, ahead of SGC 10 at $55.29. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 Lugia break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia breaks even when it gems about 45% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $43.53).
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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