Is Pikachu V-UNION worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 16× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu V-UNION sells for $124 against $7.73 raw: a $116 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.76) 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)
- $7.73
- PSA 10
- $124
- PSA 9
- $29.76
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $124 | +$90.97 | +$65.97 | −$34.03 |
| PSA 9 | $29.76 | −$2.97 | −$27.97 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $17.28 | −$15.45 | −$40.45 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $7.73 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% | $53.25 | −$4.48 |
| 50% | $76.73 | +$19.00 |
| 75% | $100 | +$42.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 | $124 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.53 | −$87.17 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $124 | $36.53 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $10.50 | $43.00 |
| 9 | $29.76 | $16.16 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $11.98 | — |
| 8 | $17.28 | $4.24 | — |
| 7 | $49.95 | — | — |
| 6 | $21.22 | — | — |
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
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu V-UNION — FAQ
Is Pikachu V-UNION worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu V-UNION sells for $124 against $7.73 raw: a $116 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.76) 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 V-UNION worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu V-UNION (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $124 versus $7.73 for a raw near-mint copy — a 16× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu V-UNION?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $124, ahead of CGC 10 at $36.53. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu V-UNION 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 V-UNION break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu V-UNION breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.76).
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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