Is Whirlipede worth grading?
Pokémon · Black Bolt · 133/086 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Whirlipede sells for $78.32 against $8.00 raw: a $70.32 spread, 9.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.46) 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)
- $8.00
- PSA 10
- $78.32
- PSA 9
- $16.46
- Gem premium
- 9.8×
- 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 | $78.32 | +$45.32 | +$20.32 | −$79.68 |
| PSA 9 | $16.46 | −$16.54 | −$41.54 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $14.32 | −$18.68 | −$43.68 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $8.00 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% | $31.92 | −$26.08 |
| 50% | $47.39 | −$10.61 |
| 75% | $62.85 | +$4.85 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 67%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $110 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $78.32 | −$31.29 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.84 | −$74.77 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $78.32 | $34.84 | $110 |
| 9.5 | — | $9.01 | — |
| 9 | $16.46 | $6.50 | — |
| 8 | $14.32 | — | — |
| 7 | $6.50 | — | — |
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 Whirlipede — FAQ
Is Whirlipede worth grading?
A PSA 10 Whirlipede sells for $78.32 against $8.00 raw: a $70.32 spread, 9.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.46) 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 Whirlipede worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Whirlipede (Black Bolt 133/086) sells for about $78.32 versus $8.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.8× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Whirlipede?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $110, ahead of PSA 10 at $78.32. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Whirlipede need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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 Whirlipede break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Whirlipede breaks even when it gems about 67% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.46).
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