Is Sandile worth grading?
Pokémon · Black Bolt · 135/086 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 20× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sandile sells for $317 against $15.88 raw: a $301 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.40) 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)
- $15.88
- PSA 10
- $317
- PSA 9
- $26.40
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $317 | +$276 | +$251 | +$151 |
| PSA 9 | $26.40 | −$14.48 | −$39.48 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $13.47 | −$27.41 | −$52.41 | −$152 |
Net = sale price − $15.88 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% | $99.00 | +$33.12 |
| 50% | $172 | +$106 |
| 75% | $244 | +$178 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $317 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $317 | — | — | $51.12 |
| 9.5 | — | $11.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $26.40 | $15.50 | $20.00 | — |
| 8 | $13.47 | — | — | — |
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 Sandile — FAQ
Is Sandile worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sandile sells for $317 against $15.88 raw: a $301 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.40) 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 Sandile worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sandile (Black Bolt 135/086) sells for about $317 versus $15.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Sandile 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 Sandile break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sandile breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.40).
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