Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Boundaries Crossed · 18/149 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 32× premium in PSA 9
A PSA 9 Charmander sells for $103 against $3.19 raw: a $99.39 spread, 32× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.00) 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)
- $3.19
- PSA 9
- $103
- PSA 9
- $22.00
- Gem premium
- 32×
- 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 9 | $103 | +$74.39 | +$49.39 | −$50.61 |
| PSA 9 | $22.00 | −$6.19 | −$31.19 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $15.00 | −$13.19 | −$38.19 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $3.19 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% | $42.14 | −$11.05 |
| 50% | $62.29 | +$9.10 |
| 75% | $82.44 | +$29.25 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $49.99 | 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 | — | $49.99 |
| 9 | $103 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $25.00 |
| 8 | $54.13 | $1.00 |
| 7 | $23.00 | — |
| 6 | $10.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 9 Charmander sells for $103 against $3.19 raw: a $99.39 spread, 32× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.00) 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.
What centering does Charmander 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 Charmander break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charmander breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.00).
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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