Is Professor Elm worth grading?
Pokémon · Best of Game · 3 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Professor Elm sells for $158 against $30.73 raw: a $128 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($93.14) 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)
- $30.73
- CGC 10
- $158
- PSA 9
- $93.14
- Gem premium
- 5.1×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $158 | +$103 | +$77.51 | −$22.49 |
| PSA 9 | $93.14 | +$37.41 | +$12.41 | −$87.59 |
| PSA 8 | $55.74 | +$0.01 | −$24.99 | −$125 |
Net = sale price − $30.73 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% | $109 | +$28.69 |
| 50% | $126 | +$44.96 |
| 75% | $142 | +$61.23 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $158 | best | 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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Grading Professor Elm — FAQ
Is Professor Elm worth grading?
A CGC 10 Professor Elm sells for $158 against $30.73 raw: a $128 spread, 5.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($93.14) 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.
What centering does Professor Elm need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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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