Is Chikorita worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 100/165 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Chikorita sell for $31.76, only $23.94 above the $7.82 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($32.17) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $7.82
- PSA 10
- $31.76
- PSA 9
- $32.17
- Gem premium
- 4.1×
- 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 | $31.76 | −$1.06 | −$26.06 | −$126 |
| PSA 9 | $32.17 | −$0.65 | −$25.65 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $20.00 | −$12.82 | −$37.82 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $7.82 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% | $32.07 | −$25.75 |
| 50% | $31.97 | −$25.85 |
| 75% | $31.86 | −$25.96 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $679 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.93 | −$633 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $679 | $45.93 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $28.90 | — | — |
| 9 | $30.96 | $38.39 | $50.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $34.97 | — | — |
| 8 | $86.15 | $67.00 | — | $10.00 |
| 7 | $39.83 | $11.50 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $18.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $9.00 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $130 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Expedition Base Set cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Chikorita — FAQ
Is Chikorita worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Chikorita sell for $31.76, only $23.94 above the $7.82 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($32.17) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Chikorita worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Chikorita (Expedition Base Set 100/165) sells for about $31.76 versus $7.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Chikorita?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $679, ahead of CGC 10 at $45.93. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Chikorita 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.
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.
Check my card free