Is Charizard worth grading?
Pokémon · Detective Pikachu · 5/18 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charizard sells for $228 against $11.94 raw: a $216 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.05) 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)
- $11.94
- PSA 10
- $228
- PSA 9
- $28.05
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $228 | +$191 | +$166 | +$65.78 |
| PSA 9 | $28.05 | −$8.89 | −$33.89 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $24.60 | −$12.34 | −$37.34 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $11.94 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% | $77.97 | +$16.03 |
| 50% | $128 | +$65.95 |
| 75% | $178 | +$116 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $228 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.69 | −$158 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $228 | $69.69 | — | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $24.93 | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | $28.05 | $27.34 | $20.07 | $15.00 | $70.00 | $33.10 |
| 8.5 | — | $9.53 | $15.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $24.60 | $13.79 | — | $12.00 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $15.47 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $19.63 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $18.01 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $24.99 | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Full set checklist →
Grading Charizard — FAQ
Is Charizard worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard sells for $228 against $11.94 raw: a $216 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.05) 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 Charizard worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard (Detective Pikachu 5/18) sells for about $228 versus $11.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $228, ahead of CGC 10 at $69.69. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charizard 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 Charizard break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charizard breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.05).
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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