Is Raichu worth grading?
Pokémon · Next Destinies · 40/99 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 8 Raichu sells for $600 against $3.33 raw: a $597 spread, 180× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.33) 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)
- $3.33
- PSA 8
- $600
- PSA 9
- $48.33
- Gem premium
- 180×
- 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 8 | $600 | +$572 | +$547 | +$447 |
| PSA 9 | $48.33 | +$20.00 | −$5.00 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $24.08 | −$4.25 | −$29.25 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $3.33 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% | $186 | +$133 |
| 50% | $324 | +$271 |
| 75% | $462 | +$409 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $250 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $250 | — | — |
| 9 | $48.33 | $30.00 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $34.99 | — | — |
| 8 | $600 | $250 | $35.00 | $115 |
| 7 | $423 | $25.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $18.00 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $7.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Raichu — FAQ
Is Raichu worth grading?
A PSA 8 Raichu sells for $600 against $3.33 raw: a $597 spread, 180× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.33) 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 Raichu 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.
What gem rate makes grading Raichu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Raichu breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $48.33).
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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