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 $142 against $29.97 raw: a $112 spread, 4.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($110) 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)
- $29.97
- CGC 10
- $142
- PSA 9
- $110
- Gem premium
- 4.7×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $142 | +$87.34 | +$62.34 | −$37.66 |
| PSA 9 | $110 | +$55.43 | +$30.43 | −$69.57 |
| PSA 8 | $32.55 | −$22.42 | −$47.42 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $29.97 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% | $118 | +$38.41 |
| 50% | $126 | +$46.39 |
| 75% | $134 | +$54.36 |
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 | $142 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $142 |
| 9.5 | — | $19.93 |
| 9 | $110 | $39.99 |
| 8.5 | — | $34.90 |
| 8 | $32.55 | $11.96 |
| 7 | $21.39 | — |
| 6 | $7.34 | — |
| 5 | $6.50 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Best of Game cards worth checking
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Grading Professor Elm — FAQ
Is Professor Elm worth grading?
A CGC 10 Professor Elm sells for $142 against $29.97 raw: a $112 spread, 4.7× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($110) 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.
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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