Is Arceus worth grading?
Pokémon · XY Black Star Promos · XY197 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 9 Arceus sells for $127 against $16.85 raw: a $110 spread, 7.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($127) 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)
- $16.85
- PSA 9
- $127
- PSA 9
- $127
- Gem premium
- 7.5×
- 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 9 | $127 | +$85.23 | +$60.23 | −$39.77 |
| PSA 9 | $127 | +$85.23 | +$60.23 | −$39.77 |
| PSA 8 | $69.99 | +$28.14 | +$3.14 | −$96.86 |
Net = sale price − $16.85 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 | +$60.23 |
| 50% | $127 | +$60.23 |
| 75% | $127 | +$60.23 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $66.16 | 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 | SGC | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $66.16 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $59.99 | — | — |
| 9 | $127 | — | $94.49 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $40.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $69.99 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $10.80 | — | — |
| 7 | $30.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | — | $20.00 | — | $9.50 |
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
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Grading Arceus — FAQ
Is Arceus worth grading?
A PSA 9 Arceus sells for $127 against $16.85 raw: a $110 spread, 7.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($127) 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.
What centering does Arceus need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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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