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Should I Grade My Pikachu VMAX 188?

Pikachu VMAX · Vivid Voltage 188/185 · Secret Rare (Rainbow Rare)

By William Rowe, ShouldISlabIt · Updated Oct 20, 2026

Short answer: Only if a PSA 10 sells for more than $267.33. At today’s raw price of $169.36, 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.

Pikachu VMAX card, Vivid Voltage 188/185
Set
Vivid Voltage
Year
2020
Number
188/185
Rarity
Secret Rare (Rainbow Rare)
Artist
aky CG Works
Raw price
$169.36 TCGplayer market (Holofoil)
PSA 10 median
$301.00 (22 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 eBay

View on TCGplayer

Recent graded sales

Median eBay sold prices for Pikachu VMAX 188/185 by PSA grade, from sales listed on PriceCharting[4] 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.

PSA sold prices: eBay via PriceCharting[4], as of Oct 20, 2026
GradeMedian soldSalesSale dates
PSA 10$301.00†22Oct 6 – Oct 20
PSA 9$159.50†16Aug 9 – Oct 20
PSA 8Not enough recent sales: only 2 in 90 days (we need at least 3), so no median is shown.

† 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, $301.00[4], is $33.67 above this page’s $267.33 break-even, so a PSA 10 selling at that price would beat selling raw.

eBay raw (ungraded) sales median: $124.34† (16 sales, Sep 21 – Oct 17, 2026; PriceCharting / eBay sold[4]), 27% below the TCGplayer market price the calculator uses.

Our take: At the recent PSA 10 median ($301.00), a 10 would net about $29.21 more than selling raw at the $169.36 TCGplayer price, after PSA Standard grading ($59.99), $25.00 shipping and 13.25% selling fees. At the PSA 9 median ($159.50), a 9 would net about $93.54 less than selling raw (also PSA Standard, $59.99). Grading only pays if your chance of a 10 is better than about 76% (assuming anything less comes back a 9, which is optimistic), so submit only sharp, well-centered copies.[4]

PSA population

PSA has graded 19,150 copies; 11,702 are PSA 10s (61.1% gem rate) and 5,308 are PSA 9s. That means 38.9% of graded copies 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

Not sure what grade? Read the guide

Assuming a PSA 10 (recent median). Change it if you expect a 9.

See recent PSA 9 sales on eBay Pick a card first

Auto-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 Pikachu VMAX 188/185

Related

Before you grade: check centering from a photo · PSA grading guide · Is it worth grading Pokémon cards?

FAQ

Is Pikachu VMAX 188/185 worth grading?

Only if recent PSA 10 sales are above $267.33. That is the break-even at the TCGplayer raw market price of $169.36 (as of Oct 20, 2026) with PSA Standard grading ($59.99), $25.00 shipping and 13.25% selling fees. The median of 22 recent PSA 10 eBay sales (Oct 6 – Oct 20, 2026, listed on PriceCharting) is $301.00, above that break-even. We never estimate graded prices: these are real sold listings, and the calculator’s graded value is editable.

What is the difference between Pikachu VMAX 044 and 188?

Both use aky CG Works art. 044/185 is the regular print. 188/185 is the Rainbow Rare secret rare, numbered above the set’s 185 cards.

Which PSA service level do I need for Pikachu VMAX 188/185?

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 $301.00, and a PSA 10 has to sell above $267.33 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

  1. PokémonTCG.io: every English Pikachu VMAX print in Vivid Voltage (number, rarity, artist)
  2. PSA Grading Standards (psacard.com)
  3. PokémonTCG.io card record (set, number, image, TCGplayer market price)
  4. PriceCharting: Pikachu VMAX 188/185 (Vivid Voltage) 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.