The Plasma Storm cards worth grading are pack-fresh Charizard 136/135, Lugia-EX 134/135 and Blastoise 137/135. Near-mint Victini-EX 131/135, Articuno-EX 132/135, Cobalion-EX 133/135, Colress 135/135 and the ACE SPEC Victory Piece and Dowsing Machine can also justify the cost. Grading means third-party authentication and scoring on a 1-10 condition scale.
Pokemon Wiki lists Plasma Storm as the eighth Black and White expansion, released February 6, 2013 with 135 cards plus 3 Secret Rares, detailed on the Plasma Storm set page. That large size leaves most commons and non-holos with little resale value. Only clean Secret Rares and Full Arts reliably beat grading fees.
Table of Contents
- What sets the grading bar?
- Which three chases lead the set?
- Which other Ultra Rares can make sense?
- When should you sell raw instead?
What sets the grading bar?
Plasma Storm grading only works when the card value clears submission cost. ZeroPop puts 2026 all-in PSA cost at roughly $25-$80 plus shipping and weeks of wait, explained in its 2026 grading guide. Its rule favors near-mint cards worth $50-$80-plus raw where a PSA 10 sells near twice raw.
Value is also highly concentrated. CardCodex reports the top 10 cards hold about 93% of set value. ZeroPop adds that PSA 8 often adds little over raw near-mint. The practical line is simple: grade likely gem-mint chases and sell the rest raw.
Which three chases lead the set?
Charizard 136/135 shiny Secret Rare is the clear first choice. CardCodex lists it around $1,150 raw with PSA 10 estimates far higher, according to its current price guide. Only sharp, pack-fresh copies deserve submission because buyers pay for near-perfect centering, corners and surface. Lugia-EX 134/135 Full Art and Blastoise 137/135 Secret Rare form the second tier.
Cardrake in 2026 priced Lugia-EX near $938 raw and Blastoise near $500 raw. Clean copies of either can absorb grading cost when the card looks capable of PSA 9 or better. Blastoise shows why gem grade matters. PSA records one Blastoise 137/135 as GEM MT 10 with a PSA estimate of $19,877, population 46 and none higher, shown in this Blastoise certification record. That low-population premium does not extend to played or off-center copies.
Which other Ultra Rares can make sense?
The next candidates are Victini-EX 131/135, Articuno-EX 132/135, Cobalion-EX 133/135 and Full Art Colress 135/135. Card Collector UK places Colress near $90 raw and groups the three EX cards in the same chase tier. ACE SPEC Victory Piece and Dowsing Machine belong in this group as condition-sensitive specials.
These cards need stricter selection than the top three. Submit only copies with full gloss, clean edges, sharp corners and centered borders. Light edge whitening, print lines, scratches or soft corners usually erase the margin. When uncertain, compare raw sold prices against the likely PSA 9 outcome, not the PSA 10 headline.
When should you sell raw instead?
Most Plasma Storm cards should stay raw. Commons, non-holos, reverse holos outside the chase cards and any played EX or Full Art rarely gain from a slab.
CardCodex concentration data supports this: money sits in a few Secrets and Full Arts, not bulk. Use a quick screen before paying a fee: Check recent sold listings for the exact card and number, then submit the strongest one or two chases first.
- Grade only if the card is Complete, centered and near-mint or better.
- Grade only if raw value is high enough that PSA 9 or 10 improves net return.
- Sell raw if the card has creases, whitening, dents, water exposure or heavy edge wear.
- Sell bulk lots raw rather than grading commons to chase a miracle grade.
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