Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Pokémon TCG Classic - Charizard · 001/034 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $109 against $17.18 raw: a $91.45 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.48) 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)
- $17.18
- PSA 10
- $109
- PSA 9
- $35.48
- Gem premium
- 6.3×
- 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 | $109 | +$66.45 | +$41.45 | −$58.55 |
| PSA 9 | $35.48 | −$6.70 | −$31.70 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $30.77 | −$11.41 | −$36.41 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $17.18 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% | $53.77 | −$13.41 |
| 50% | $72.05 | +$4.87 |
| 75% | $90.34 | +$23.16 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 43%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $96.70 | −$11.93 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $33.40 | −$75.23 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $109 | $33.40 | — | $96.70 | $60.31 |
| 9.5 | — | $19.69 | $38.21 | — | — |
| 9 | $35.48 | $20.81 | $9.20 | $34.55 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $12.46 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $30.77 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $6.50 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Pokémon TCG Classic - Charizard cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $109 against $17.18 raw: a $91.45 spread, 6.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($35.48) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmander (Pokémon TCG Classic - Charizard 001/034) sells for about $109 versus $17.18 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $109, ahead of TAG 10 at $96.70. 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 43% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.48).
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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