Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
Pokémon · Detective Pikachu · 1/18 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 102× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $90.18 against $0.88 raw: a $89.30 spread, 102× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.28) 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)
- $0.88
- PSA 10
- $90.18
- PSA 9
- $16.28
- Gem premium
- 102×
- 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 | $90.18 | +$64.30 | +$39.30 | −$60.70 |
| PSA 9 | $16.28 | −$9.60 | −$34.60 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $14.06 | −$11.82 | −$36.82 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $0.88 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% | $34.76 | −$16.13 |
| 50% | $53.23 | +$2.35 |
| 75% | $71.71 | +$20.83 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 47%. 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 | $90.18 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $16.43 | −$73.75 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $90.18 | $16.43 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $5.00 | — |
| 9 | $16.28 | $5.51 | $49.85 |
| 8.5 | — | $7.49 | — |
| 8 | $14.06 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $1.00 | — |
| 7 | $14.12 | $5.00 | — |
| 6 | $14.98 | — | — |
| 5 | $9.96 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Detective Pikachu cards worth checking
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Grading Bulbasaur — FAQ
Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $90.18 against $0.88 raw: a $89.30 spread, 102× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.28) 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 Bulbasaur worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur (Detective Pikachu 1/18) sells for about $90.18 versus $0.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 102× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bulbasaur?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $90.18, ahead of CGC 10 at $16.43. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bulbasaur 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 Bulbasaur break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bulbasaur breaks even when it gems about 47% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.28).
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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