Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Base Set 2 · 69/130 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $169 against $1.60 raw: a $167 spread, 105× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.96) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.60
- PSA 10
- $169
- PSA 9
- $35.96
- Gem premium
- 105×
- 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 | $169 | +$142 | +$117 | +$17.00 |
| PSA 9 | $35.96 | +$9.36 | −$15.64 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $23.04 | −$3.56 | −$28.56 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $1.60 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% | $69.12 | +$17.52 |
| 50% | $102 | +$50.68 |
| 75% | $135 | +$83.84 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 | $169 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $66.75 | −$102 | 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 | BGS | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $169 | $66.75 | — | — | $108 |
| 9.5 | — | $25.00 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $35.96 | $17.30 | $1,850 | $7.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $17.22 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $23.04 | $19.99 | — | $15.00 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $5.01 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $10.02 | $5.28 | — | $6.00 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $10.50 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $59.71 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $1.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $13.20 | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | — | $3.00 | — | — |
| 4 | $19.86 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $11.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Base Set 2 cards worth checking
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Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $169 against $1.60 raw: a $167 spread, 105× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.96) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmander (Base Set 2 69/130) sells for about $169 versus $1.60 for a raw near-mint copy — a 105× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $169, ahead of CGC 10 at $66.75. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charmander 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 Charmander break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charmander breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.96).
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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