Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 124/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $1,071 against $250 raw: a $821 spread, 4.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($124) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $250
- PSA 10
- $1,071
- PSA 9
- $124
- Gem premium
- 4.3×
- 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 | $1,071 | +$796 | +$771 | +$671 |
| PSA 9 | $124 | −$151 | −$176 | −$276 |
| PSA 8 | $53.98 | −$221 | −$246 | −$346 |
Net = sale price − $250 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% | $361 | +$60.81 |
| 50% | $598 | +$298 |
| 75% | $835 | +$535 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $1,071 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $747 | −$324 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $99.97 | −$971 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $282 | $747 | — | $99.97 | $180 |
| 9.5 | — | $230 | $35.98 | — | — |
| 9 | $282 | $102 | $205 | $18.49 | — |
| 8.5 | $104 | $34.99 | — | $11.00 | — |
| 8 | $140 | $21.00 | $48.00 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $8.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $57.57 | $55.00 | — | — | $53.30 |
| 6 | $56.70 | $12.00 | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $8.51 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $96.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $103 | — | — | — | — |
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 Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $1,071 against $250 raw: a $821 spread, 4.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($124) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (Expedition Base Set 124/165) sells for about $1,071 versus $250 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,071, ahead of CGC 10 at $747. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $124).
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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