Is Poliwhirl worth grading?
Pokémon · Base Set 2 · 57/130 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 37× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Poliwhirl sells for $52.83 against $1.44 raw: a $51.39 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.19) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.44
- PSA 10
- $52.83
- PSA 9
- $10.19
- Gem premium
- 37×
- As of
- Aug 10, 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 | $52.83 | +$26.39 | +$1.39 | −$98.61 |
| PSA 9 | $10.19 | −$16.25 | −$41.25 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $22.64 | −$3.80 | −$28.80 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $1.44 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% | $20.85 | −$30.59 |
| 50% | $31.51 | −$19.93 |
| 75% | $42.17 | −$9.27 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 97%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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 | $52.83 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $15.00 | −$37.83 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | SGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $52.83 | $15.00 | — |
| 9 | $10.19 | — | $13.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $10.00 | — |
| 8 | $22.64 | $4.00 | — |
| 7 | $26.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $20.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $7.00 | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $2.00 | — |
| 3 | $7.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Base Set 2 cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Poliwhirl — FAQ
Is Poliwhirl worth grading?
A PSA 10 Poliwhirl sells for $52.83 against $1.44 raw: a $51.39 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.19) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Poliwhirl worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Poliwhirl (Base Set 2 57/130) sells for about $52.83 versus $1.44 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Poliwhirl?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $52.83, ahead of CGC 10 at $15.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Poliwhirl 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.
What gem rate makes grading Poliwhirl break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Poliwhirl breaks even when it gems about 97% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.19).
Is your Pokémon card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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