Is Blastoise-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY122 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Blastoise-EX sells for $12,317 against $306 raw: a $12,011 spread, 40× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,272) 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)
- $306
- PSA 10
- $12,317
- PSA 9
- $1,272
- Gem premium
- 40×
- As of
- Oct 11, 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 | $12,317 | +$11,986 | +$11,961 | +$11,861 |
| PSA 9 | $1,272 | +$941 | +$916 | +$816 |
| PSA 8 | $468 | +$137 | +$112 | +$11.80 |
Net = sale price − $306 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% | $4,033 | +$3,677 |
| 50% | $6,795 | +$6,438 |
| 75% | $9,556 | +$9,199 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $12,317 | best | 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.
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Grading Blastoise-EX — FAQ
Is Blastoise-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Blastoise-EX sells for $12,317 against $306 raw: a $12,011 spread, 40× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,272) 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 Blastoise-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Blastoise-EX (XY Black Star Promos XY122) sells for about $12,317 versus $306 for a raw near-mint copy — a 40× premium as of Oct 11, 2026.
What centering does Blastoise-EX 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.
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