Is Champions Festival worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY176 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 9 Champions Festival sells for $5,500 against $420 raw: a $5,080 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($5,500) 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)
- $420
- PSA 9
- $5,500
- PSA 9
- $5,500
- Gem premium
- 13×
- As of
- Oct 5, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 9 | $5,500 | +$5,055 | +$5,030 | +$4,930 |
| PSA 9 | $5,500 | +$5,055 | +$5,030 | +$4,930 |
| PSA 8 | $904 | +$459 | +$434 | +$334 |
Net = sale price − $420 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% | $5,500 | +$5,030 |
| 50% | $5,500 | +$5,030 |
| 75% | $5,500 | +$5,030 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Champions Festival — FAQ
Is Champions Festival worth grading?
A PSA 9 Champions Festival sells for $5,500 against $420 raw: a $5,080 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($5,500) 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.
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