Is Poliwrath worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 24/165 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Poliwrath sell for $55.51, only $0.00 above the $59.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($277) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $59.00
- PSA 10
- $55.51
- PSA 9
- $277
- Gem premium
- 0.9×
- 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 | $55.51 | −$28.49 | −$53.49 | −$153 |
| PSA 9 | $277 | +$193 | +$168 | +$68.28 |
| PSA 8 | $395 | +$311 | +$286 | +$186 |
Net = sale price − $59.00 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% | $222 | +$113 |
| 50% | $166 | +$57.39 |
| 75% | $111 | +$1.95 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 76%. 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 | $42,500 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $271 | −$42,229 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $42,500 | $165 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $141 | $2,500 | — | — |
| 9 | $89.11 | $70.43 | $82.38 | — | $81.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $39.83 | $299 | — | — |
| 8 | $39.75 | $98.45 | — | $131 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $30.00 | $28.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $67.26 | — | — | — | $35.08 |
| 6.5 | — | $46.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $56.00 | $31.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $77.60 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $25.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $33.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $47.99 | — | — | — | — |
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 Poliwrath — FAQ
Is Poliwrath worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Poliwrath sell for $55.51, only $0.00 above the $59.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($277) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Poliwrath worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Poliwrath (Expedition Base Set 24/165) sells for about $55.51 versus $59.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.9× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Poliwrath?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $42,500, ahead of CGC 10 at $271. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Poliwrath 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 Poliwrath break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Poliwrath breaks even when it gems about 76% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $277).
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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