Is Palpitoad worth grading?
Pokémon · Black Bolt · 104/086 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 15× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Palpitoad sells for $215 against $14.55 raw: a $201 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.67) 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)
- $14.55
- PSA 10
- $215
- PSA 9
- $21.67
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $215 | +$176 | +$151 | +$50.52 |
| PSA 9 | $21.67 | −$17.88 | −$42.88 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $16.46 | −$23.09 | −$48.09 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $14.55 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% | $70.02 | +$5.47 |
| 50% | $118 | +$53.82 |
| 75% | $167 | +$102 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 22%. 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 | $215 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.46 | −$183 | 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 | BGS | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $215 | $32.46 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $10.00 | $55.00 | $13.00 | — |
| 9 | $21.67 | $14.80 | $12.00 | — | $18.64 |
| 8 | $16.46 | $14.74 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $7.50 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Black Bolt cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Palpitoad — FAQ
Is Palpitoad worth grading?
A PSA 10 Palpitoad sells for $215 against $14.55 raw: a $201 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.67) 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 Palpitoad worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Palpitoad (Black Bolt 104/086) sells for about $215 versus $14.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Palpitoad?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $215, ahead of CGC 10 at $32.46. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Palpitoad 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 Palpitoad break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Palpitoad breaks even when it gems about 22% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.67).
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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