Is Blastoise VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Blastoise VMAX sells for $193 against $37.05 raw: a $156 spread, 5.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($49.03) 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)
- $37.05
- PSA 10
- $193
- PSA 9
- $49.03
- Gem premium
- 5.2×
- 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 | $193 | +$131 | +$106 | +$5.66 |
| PSA 9 | $49.03 | −$13.02 | −$38.02 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $27.62 | −$34.43 | −$59.43 | −$159 |
Net = sale price − $37.05 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% | $84.95 | −$2.10 |
| 50% | $121 | +$33.82 |
| 75% | $157 | +$69.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. 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 | $230 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $193 | −$37.28 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $62.78 | −$167 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $62.12 | −$168 | 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 | $193 | $62.12 | — | $62.78 | $230 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $99.99 | $67.02 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $49.03 | $29.58 | $16.59 | $25.00 | — | $37.68 |
| 8.5 | — | $22.60 | $21.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $27.62 | $16.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $16.12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $16.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $30.00 | $16.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other SWSH Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Blastoise VMAX — FAQ
Is Blastoise VMAX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Blastoise VMAX sells for $193 against $37.05 raw: a $156 spread, 5.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($49.03) 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 Blastoise VMAX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Blastoise VMAX (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $193 versus $37.05 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.2× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Blastoise VMAX?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $230, ahead of PSA 10 at $193. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Blastoise VMAX 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 Blastoise VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Blastoise VMAX breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.03).
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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