Is Volcanion-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY173 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Volcanion-EX sells for $153 against $3.40 raw: a $149 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.72) 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)
- $3.40
- PSA 10
- $153
- PSA 9
- $17.72
- Gem premium
- 45×
- 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 | $153 | +$124 | +$99.14 | −$0.86 |
| PSA 9 | $17.72 | −$10.68 | −$35.68 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $12.38 | −$16.02 | −$41.02 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $3.40 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% | $51.42 | −$1.98 |
| 50% | $85.13 | +$31.73 |
| 75% | $119 | +$65.44 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. 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 | $153 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $21.00 | −$132 | 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 | $153 | $21.00 |
| 9 | $17.72 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $10.80 |
| 8 | $12.38 | — |
| 6 | $4.99 | — |
| 1 | $8.77 | — |
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 Volcanion-EX — FAQ
Is Volcanion-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Volcanion-EX sells for $153 against $3.40 raw: a $149 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.72) 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 Volcanion-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Volcanion-EX (XY Black Star Promos XY173) sells for about $153 versus $3.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Volcanion-EX?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $153, ahead of CGC 10 at $21.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Volcanion-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.
What gem rate makes grading Volcanion-EX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Volcanion-EX breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.72).
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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