Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Detective Pikachu · 4/18 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 102× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $93.20 against $0.91 raw: a $92.29 spread, 102× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.65) 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)
- $0.91
- PSA 10
- $93.20
- PSA 9
- $18.65
- 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 | $93.20 | +$67.29 | +$42.29 | −$57.71 |
| PSA 9 | $18.65 | −$7.26 | −$32.26 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $13.83 | −$12.08 | −$37.08 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $0.91 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% | $37.29 | −$13.62 |
| 50% | $55.92 | +$5.02 |
| 75% | $74.56 | +$23.65 |
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 | $93.20 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $20.37 | −$72.83 | 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.
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Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $93.20 against $0.91 raw: a $92.29 spread, 102× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.65) 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 (Detective Pikachu 4/18) sells for about $93.20 versus $0.91 for a raw near-mint copy — a 102× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $93.20, ahead of CGC 10 at $20.37. 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 $18.65).
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