Is Cyndaquil worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 104/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 20× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Cyndaquil sells for $394 against $19.70 raw: a $374 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.49) 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)
- $19.70
- PSA 10
- $394
- PSA 9
- $21.49
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $394 | +$349 | +$324 | +$224 |
| PSA 9 | $21.49 | −$23.21 | −$48.21 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $49.76 | +$5.06 | −$19.94 | −$120 |
Net = sale price − $19.70 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% | $114 | +$44.80 |
| 50% | $208 | +$138 |
| 75% | $301 | +$231 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $415 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $238 | −$177 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $415 | $238 | — | $348 |
| 9.5 | — | $25.97 | — | — |
| 9 | $30.08 | $53.79 | $16.00 | — |
| 8.5 | $32.92 | $47.90 | $11.00 | — |
| 8 | $38.52 | — | $7.00 | — |
| 7 | $34.93 | $35.00 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $34.95 | — | — |
| 6 | $69.21 | $12.00 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $18.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $64.89 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $45.00 | — | — | — |
| 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 Cyndaquil — FAQ
Is Cyndaquil worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cyndaquil sells for $394 against $19.70 raw: a $374 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.49) 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 Cyndaquil worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cyndaquil (Expedition Base Set 104/165) sells for about $394 versus $19.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cyndaquil?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $415, ahead of CGC 10 at $238. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cyndaquil 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 Cyndaquil break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cyndaquil breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.49).
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