Is Pikachu V-UNION worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu V-UNION sells for $191 against $10.02 raw: a $181 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($32.25) 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)
- $10.02
- PSA 10
- $191
- PSA 9
- $32.25
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $191 | +$156 | +$131 | +$31.33 |
| PSA 9 | $32.25 | −$2.77 | −$27.77 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $22.21 | −$12.81 | −$37.81 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $10.02 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% | $72.03 | +$12.01 |
| 50% | $112 | +$51.78 |
| 75% | $152 | +$91.55 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $191 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.31 | −$159 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $7.00 | −$184 | 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 | $191 | $32.31 | — | $7.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $8.66 | $229 | — |
| 9 | $32.25 | $18.78 | $20.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $3.29 | — | — |
| 8 | $22.21 | $6.50 | — | — |
| 7 | $13.50 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $10.50 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $12.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Pikachu V-UNION — FAQ
Is Pikachu V-UNION worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu V-UNION sells for $191 against $10.02 raw: a $181 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($32.25) 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 $191 versus $10.02 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu V-UNION?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $191, ahead of CGC 10 at $32.31. 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 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $32.25).
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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