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Should I Grade My Surging Sparks Pikachu ex?
Pikachu ex · Surging Sparks 238/191 · Special Illustration Rare
Short answer: Only if a PSA 10 sells for more than $372.41. At today’s raw price of $274.44, PSA Standard grading ($59.99, the cheapest level whose $1,000 max value covers the recent PSA 10 median and that sale), $25.00 shipping and 13.25% selling fees break even at that graded sale price. Recent PSA 10 sales clear that bar (see the sold comps). Check your card’s centering before you pay to grade, and remember many cards come back a 9 or lower.
- Set
- Surging Sparks
- Year
- 2024
- Number
- 238/191
- Rarity
- Special Illustration Rare
- Artist
- GIDORA
- Raw price
- $274.44 TCGplayer market (Holofoil)
- PSA 10 median
- $737.00 (26 eBay sales)
Prices as of Oct 20, 2026. TCGplayer market price via PokémonTCG.io (TCGplayer data dated 2026/10/15). Graded figures are eBay sold comps via PriceCharting as of Oct 20, 2026, not estimates.
See recent PSA 10 sales on eBayRecent graded sales
Median eBay sold prices for Surging Sparks Pikachu ex 238 by PSA grade, from sales listed on PriceCharting[5] in the 90 days to Oct 20, 2026. Each sale there links to its eBay listing. These are real sales, not our estimates. Grades with fewer than 3 sales are not shown.
| Grade | Median sold | Sales | Sale dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $737.00† | 26 | Oct 11 – Oct 19 |
| PSA 9 | $225.00† | 23 | Oct 7 – Oct 20 |
| PSA 8 | $255.00 | 11 | Jul 23 – Sep 20 |
† PriceCharting lists only its most recent sales for this grade, so its median covers only the sale dates shown (often just the last few weeks), not the full 90 days. The real 90-day sale count is higher.
Break-even check: the PSA 10 median, $737.00[5], is $364.59 above this page’s $372.41 break-even, so a PSA 10 selling at that price would beat selling raw.
eBay raw (ungraded) sales median: $222.50† (23 sales, Oct 5 – Oct 17, 2026; PriceCharting / eBay sold[5]), 19% below the TCGplayer market price the calculator uses.
Our take: At the recent PSA 10 median ($737.00), a 10 would net about $316.28 more than selling raw at the $274.44 TCGplayer price, after PSA Standard grading ($59.99), $25.00 shipping and 13.25% selling fees. At the PSA 9 median ($225.00), a 9 would net about $127.88 less than selling raw (also PSA Standard, $59.99). Grading only pays if your chance of a 10 is better than about 29% (assuming anything less comes back a 9, which is optimistic), so submit only sharp, well-centered copies.[5]
PSA population
PSA has graded 31,122 copies; 10,892 are PSA 10s (35.0% gem rate) and 16,022 are PSA 9s. That means most graded copies (65.0%) did not get a 10, so check that a PSA 9 sale would still beat selling raw before you count on a 10.
Source: PriceCharting PSA population report, checked Oct 24, 2026.
The calculator below is prefilled with this card, its raw price and the recent PSA 10 sold median. Change the graded value if your copy or the market differs (we never estimate graded prices: the figures on this page are real sales with sources), then add it to My Collection or share the result.
PSA 10 vs raw calculator
Assuming a PSA 10 (recent median). Change it if you expect a 9.
See recent PSA 9 sales on eBay Pick a card firstAuto-picked Standard: the cheapest tier whose $1,000 max value covers the graded value and break-even.
Fees per card from psacard.com, verified 2026-10-15. Value tiers paused since June 2, 2026.
| Net if sold raw (after selling fees) | |
| Total grading costs (fee + shipping + insurance) | |
| Net if graded & sold (after all fees) | |
| Grading profit vs. selling raw | |
| Break-even graded sale value |
Counting on a PSA 10? It needs about 55/45 front centering (PSA 9: about 60/40). Measure your card's centering from a photo before you pay to grade.
Assumes the card actually gets the grade you chose. Lower grades are common — try PSA 8/9 values too.
Grading notes for Surging Sparks Pikachu ex 238
- Surging Sparks has four English Pikachu ex prints: 057/191 (Double Rare), 219/191 (Ultra Rare), 238/191 (the Special Illustration Rare) and 247/191 (the gold Hyper Rare). This page is for 238/191.[1]
- PkmnCards credits the 238/191 artwork to GIDORA.[2]
- General guidance for any card: PSA says a Gem Mint 10 needs four sharp corners, full original gloss, no staining and centering within about 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back.[3] Measure yours with the centering checker and read the PSA grading guide before you submit.
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Before you grade: check centering from a photo · PSA grading guide · Is it worth grading Pokémon cards?
FAQ
Is Surging Sparks Pikachu ex 238 worth grading?
Only if recent PSA 10 sales are above $372.41. That is the break-even at the TCGplayer raw market price of $274.44 (as of Oct 20, 2026) with PSA Standard grading ($59.99), $25.00 shipping and 13.25% selling fees. The median of 26 recent PSA 10 eBay sales (Oct 11 – Oct 19, 2026, listed on PriceCharting) is $737.00, above that break-even. We never estimate graded prices: these are real sold listings, and the calculator’s graded value is editable.
Which Surging Sparks Pikachu ex is the Special Illustration Rare?
238/191, illustrated by GIDORA. 057/191 is the Double Rare, 219/191 is the Ultra Rare and 247/191 is the gold Hyper Rare.
Which PSA service level do I need for Surging Sparks Pikachu ex 238?
PSA prices each service level by the card's declared value, which should be what the graded card is worth, not its raw price. Recent PSA 10 sales have a median of $737.00, and a PSA 10 has to sell above $372.41 to beat selling raw. The cheapest level whose max value covers both is Standard ($59.99 per card, max value $1,000; fees checked 2026-10-19). If recent PSA 10 sales are above $1,000, PSA may upcharge you to Priority ($79.99, max $1,500) or higher. The calculator below picks the right level from the graded value you enter.
Sources
- PokémonTCG.io: every English Pikachu ex print in Surging Sparks (number and rarity)
- PkmnCards: Pikachu ex, Surging Sparks 238 (illustrator)
- PSA Grading Standards (psacard.com)
- PokémonTCG.io card record (set, number, image, TCGplayer market price)
- PriceCharting: Pikachu ex 238/191 (Surging Sparks) completed sales, eBay sold listings (retrieved Oct 20, 2026)
Prices change daily. We refresh raw prices from PokémonTCG.io and graded sold comps from PriceCharting (eBay sold listings), and show the dates above. Not affiliated with PSA, The Pokémon Company, TCGplayer, PriceCharting or eBay.