Is Escavalier worth grading?
Pokémon · Black Bolt · 138/086 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 14× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Escavalier sells for $265 against $18.31 raw: a $247 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.14) 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)
- $18.31
- PSA 10
- $265
- PSA 9
- $27.14
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 | $265 | +$222 | +$197 | +$96.77 |
| PSA 9 | $27.14 | −$16.17 | −$41.17 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $17.09 | −$26.22 | −$51.22 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $18.31 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% | $86.63 | +$18.31 |
| 50% | $146 | +$77.80 |
| 75% | $206 | +$137 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $265 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $16.00 | −$249 | 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 | $265 | $16.00 |
| 9 | $27.14 | — |
| 8.5 | $14.50 | — |
| 8 | $17.09 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Escavalier — FAQ
Is Escavalier worth grading?
A PSA 10 Escavalier sells for $265 against $18.31 raw: a $247 spread, 14× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.14) 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 Escavalier worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Escavalier (Black Bolt 138/086) sells for about $265 versus $18.31 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Escavalier?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $265, ahead of CGC 10 at $16.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Escavalier 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 Escavalier break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Escavalier breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.14).
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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