Is Drilbur worth grading?
Pokémon · Black Bolt · 124/086 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 16× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Drilbur sells for $134 against $8.18 raw: a $126 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.93) 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)
- $8.18
- PSA 10
- $134
- PSA 9
- $18.93
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $134 | +$101 | +$76.07 | −$23.93 |
| PSA 9 | $18.93 | −$14.25 | −$39.25 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $10.06 | −$23.12 | −$48.12 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $8.18 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% | $47.76 | −$10.42 |
| 50% | $76.59 | +$18.41 |
| 75% | $105 | +$47.24 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 34%. 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 | $134 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $58.76 | −$75.49 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $134 | $58.76 | $61.32 |
| 9 | $18.93 | $9.64 | $12.48 |
| 8 | $10.06 | — | — |
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 Drilbur — FAQ
Is Drilbur worth grading?
A PSA 10 Drilbur sells for $134 against $8.18 raw: a $126 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.93) 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 Drilbur worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Drilbur (Black Bolt 124/086) sells for about $134 versus $8.18 for a raw near-mint copy — a 16× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Drilbur?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $134, ahead of CGC 10 at $58.76. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Drilbur 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 Drilbur break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Drilbur breaks even when it gems about 34% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.93).
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.
Check my card free