Black Bolt 2025 Price Pulse: Zekrom ex Takes the Throne, Seismitoad IR Surges, and What to Grade Now

Last updated on August 17, 2025 by CardGrader.AI

Black Bolt 2025 is Here — What the Early Market Is Really Paying

Black Bolt is already shaping the 2025 Pokémon TCG market with a clear chase hierarchy, sharp Illustration Rare demand, and a strong grading premium for pristine hits. To cut through the noise, we reviewed actual sold eBay comps and filtered them to only the exact English cards by number and variant (excluding mislabels like "candidate" grades or third-party slabs not comparable to PSA/CGC). Below is what the data says right now—and how to act on it.

The Early Leaders, Backed by Filtered Sales

1) The Chase: 2025 Zekrom ex EX 172/086 Black Bolt

After filtering for the exact English 172/086 EX (ungraded), most sales cluster between $400–$500, with a mean around ~$432 across ten matches. A PSA 10 copy has already sold at $1,449.99 (single data point—treat with caution but it clearly indicates a significant gem premium).

CardGrader.AI’s sample shows an AI-estimated grade of 8.81 with very clean edges and a minor back-corner nick in the notes—typical detail that separates a 9 from a 10. For high-end chases like Zekrom, this is exactly where Fast Scan shines: identify microscopic corner/edge issues quickly before you submit.

Grading takeaway: With raw in the $400–$500 band and an observed PSA 10 at $1.45k, strong candidates are worth grading. Sub-9 candidates might be safer to move raw while demand is hot.

2) Illustration Rare Pop: 2025 Seismitoad 105/086 Black Bolt Illustration Rare

Seismitoad 105/086 Illustration Rare Black Bolt

Filtering to true Illustration Rare 105/086 English sales (and excluding vague "PSA 10 candidate" listings that aren’t actually graded), we see a tight cluster of realized sales from $135–$225 with a ~$181 average across ten comps in a 48-hour window. That’s robust demand for an Illustration Rare this early.

The AI-estimated grade on our sample is 9.28 with only minuscule corner specks noted—classic 9+/gem potential. A curious outlier in market chatter is a $90 "PSA 10 candidate" sale—remember, that’s not a graded card and shouldn’t anchor graded comps. As real slabs hit pop reports, watch for a 9 vs. 10 spread to emerge.

Curious where your IR stands? Scan it with our AI grader to get a fast condition read and value snapshot.

3) The Mid-Tier SIRs: Kyurem, Serperior, Excadrill

2025 Kyurem EX 165/086 Black Bolt Special Illustration Rare: Excluding an ACE-graded listing (not comparable to raw), nine exact raw English comps average about $68 with a typical range of $65–$80. The AI-estimated grade on our sample is 8.81 with a few tiny corner specks—likely a strong raw sale, borderline for grading unless centering is exceptional.

2025 Serperior ex ex 164/086 Black Bolt Special Illustration Rare: Ten filtered raw comps average roughly $47, ranging ~$40–$58. Our sample’s AI-estimated grade is 9.06, with a single micro-speck noted on one edge. This is a prime candidate for selling raw quickly or grading only if you truly see gem-level centering in-hand.

2025 Excadrill EX 168/086 Black Bolt Special Illustration Rare: Ten filtered raw sales average about $33 (typical range $25–$50). Our sample shows an AI-estimated grade of 9.38 but with a light surface scratch noted—precisely the kind of flaw that caps gem potential. Strong raw liquidity; grade only if flawless in-hand.

Grading vs. Selling Raw: A Practical Framework

Chase-tier (Zekrom ex 172/086): If your copy is razor sharp (no corner nicks, perfect centering), grading can materially lift value based on the early PSA 10 result. Use Fast Scan to pre-screen at shows.
High-demand IR (Seismitoad 105/086): With raw sales consolidating around ~$181, grading makes sense for likely gems. Be cautious about anchoring to ungraded "PSA 10 candidate" sales.
Mid-tier SIRs (Kyurem/Serperior/Excadrill): Solid raw liquidity right now. Grade selectively—aim for cards with spotless surfaces and dead-center fronts/backs.

Want a second opinion before you submit? Sign up for CardGrader.AI to get free credits, upload photos, and let our AI flag corner specks, edge whitening, and surface scratches in seconds.

Condition Trends We’re Seeing (and How to React)

Micro corner specks are common across samples (e.g., Kyurem and Zekrom). Under magnification, these are often the difference between a 9 and 10.
Surfaces are generally strong, but even a light scratch (Excadrill) is a grade cap—double-check under angled light.
Centering has been “Near Center” on many pulls; anything notably off-center will struggle to gem.

Scan your Black Bolt hits and save the AI condition report to your submission notes—it’s an easy way to document pre-sub condition and set price expectations when you decide to sell.

Bottom Line

Early Black Bolt pricing is organizing neatly: Zekrom ex 172/086 is the headline chase at ~$400–$500 raw with a strong (but early) gem premium, Seismitoad IR 105/086 is a standout at ~$181 average raw, and the SIR trio (Kyurem ~$65–$80, Serperior ~$40–$58, Excadrill ~$25–$50) offers accessible entry points with solid liquidity.

Use data, not hype. Filter comps to exact variant and condition, lean on AI pre-screening, and grade only when the numbers (and the surface/centering) say “go.”

Heading to a show this weekend? Use CardGrader.AI’s Fast Scan to check values on the fly, then sign up for free credits and start evaluating your Black Bolt pulls today.