Is ライチュウ worth grading?
Pokémon · 拡張パック · No.026 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of ライチュウ sell for $2,277, only $0.00 above the $38,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($297) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $38,000
- PSA 10
- $2,277
- PSA 9
- $297
- Gem premium
- 0.1×
- As of
- Sep 27, 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 | $2,277 | −$35,748 | −$35,773 | −$35,873 |
| PSA 9 | $297 | −$37,728 | −$37,753 | −$37,853 |
| PSA 8 | $116 | −$37,909 | −$37,934 | −$38,034 |
Net = sale price − $38,000 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% | $792 | −$37,258 |
| 50% | $1,287 | −$36,763 |
| 75% | $1,782 | −$36,268 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $2,277 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $569 | −$1,708 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 拡張パック cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading ライチュウ — FAQ
Is ライチュウ worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of ライチュウ sell for $2,277, only $0.00 above the $38,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($297) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 ライチュウ worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 ライチュウ (拡張パック No.026) sells for about $2,277 versus $38,000 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.1× premium as of Sep 27, 2026.
Which grading company is best for ライチュウ?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,277, ahead of CGC 10 at $569. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does ライチュウ 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.
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your Pokémon card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
