Is ライチュウ worth grading?
Pokémon · 化石の秘密 · No.026 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of ライチュウ sell for $1,615, only $0.00 above the $15,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($164) 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)
- $15,000
- PSA 10
- $1,615
- PSA 9
- $164
- 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 | $1,615 | −$13,410 | −$13,435 | −$13,535 |
| PSA 9 | $164 | −$14,861 | −$14,886 | −$14,986 |
| PSA 8 | $90.34 | −$14,935 | −$14,960 | −$15,060 |
Net = sale price − $15,000 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% | $526 | −$14,524 |
| 50% | $889 | −$14,161 |
| 75% | $1,252 | −$13,798 |
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 | $1,615 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $371 | −$1,244 | 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.
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Other 化石の秘密 cards worth checking
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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 $1,615, only $0.00 above the $15,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($164) 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 (化石の秘密 No.026) sells for about $1,615 versus $15,000 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 $1,615, ahead of CGC 10 at $371. 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.
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