Is Empoleon BREAK worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY134 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Empoleon BREAK sells for $659 against $19.20 raw: a $640 spread, 34× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($100) 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)
- $19.20
- PSA 10
- $659
- PSA 9
- $100
- Gem premium
- 34×
- 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 | $659 | +$615 | +$590 | +$490 |
| PSA 9 | $100 | +$56.27 | +$31.27 | −$68.73 |
| PSA 8 | $31.00 | −$13.20 | −$38.20 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $19.20 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% | $240 | +$171 |
| 50% | $380 | +$311 |
| 75% | $519 | +$450 |
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 | $659 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $659 | — |
| 9 | $100 | $10.50 |
| 8.5 | — | $6.00 |
| 8 | $31.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other XY Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Empoleon BREAK — FAQ
Is Empoleon BREAK worth grading?
A PSA 10 Empoleon BREAK sells for $659 against $19.20 raw: a $640 spread, 34× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($100) 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 Empoleon BREAK worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Empoleon BREAK (XY Black Star Promos XY134) sells for about $659 versus $19.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 34× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Empoleon BREAK 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.
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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