Is Pikachu VMAX worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX sells for $380 against $8.26 raw: a $372 spread, 46× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.11) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $8.26
- PSA 10
- $380
- PSA 9
- $42.11
- Gem premium
- 46×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $380 | +$347 | +$322 | +$222 |
| PSA 9 | $42.11 | +$8.85 | −$16.15 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $23.09 | −$10.17 | −$35.17 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $8.26 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% | $127 | +$68.37 |
| 50% | $211 | +$153 |
| 75% | $296 | +$237 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $450 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $380 | −$69.77 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.13 | −$381 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $66.48 | −$384 | 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 | $380 | $69.13 | — | $66.48 | $450 | $33.38 |
| 9.5 | — | $26.75 | $33.00 | $45.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $42.11 | $16.88 | $21.66 | $15.00 | $26.22 | $63.54 |
| 8.5 | — | $9.59 | $15.00 | $18.65 | — | — |
| 8 | $23.09 | $11.27 | — | — | — | $27.68 |
| 7.5 | — | $13.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $18.60 | $16.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $3.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $10.28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $29.90 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $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 $380 against $8.26 raw: a $372 spread, 46× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.11) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. 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 $380 versus $8.26 for a raw near-mint copy — a 46× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu VMAX?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $450, ahead of PSA 10 at $380. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 Pikachu VMAX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu VMAX breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.11).
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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