Is Volcarona worth grading?
Pokémon · Black Bolt · 100/086 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Volcarona sells for $1,059 against $60.80 raw: a $998 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.61) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $60.80
- PSA 10
- $1,059
- PSA 9
- $40.61
- Gem premium
- 17×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $1,059 | +$973 | +$948 | +$848 |
| PSA 9 | $40.61 | −$45.19 | −$70.19 | −$170 |
| PSA 8 | $49.36 | −$36.44 | −$61.44 | −$161 |
Net = sale price − $60.80 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% | $295 | +$184 |
| 50% | $550 | +$439 |
| 75% | $804 | +$693 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 7%. 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 | $1,059 | 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 | $1,059 | — |
| 9 | $40.61 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $30.00 |
| 8 | $49.36 | $9.60 |
| 7.5 | — | $12.50 |
| 7 | $30.42 | — |
| 6 | $14.25 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Black Bolt cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Volcarona — FAQ
Is Volcarona worth grading?
A PSA 10 Volcarona sells for $1,059 against $60.80 raw: a $998 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.61) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Volcarona worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Volcarona (Black Bolt 100/086) sells for about $1,059 versus $60.80 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
What centering does Volcarona 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 Volcarona break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Volcarona breaks even when it gems about 7% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.61).
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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