Is Butterfree worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 38/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Butterfree sells for $167 against $23.56 raw: a $144 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.11) 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)
- $23.56
- PSA 10
- $167
- PSA 9
- $26.11
- Gem premium
- 7.1×
- 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 | $167 | +$119 | +$93.68 | −$6.32 |
| PSA 9 | $26.11 | −$22.45 | −$47.45 | −$147 |
| PSA 8 | $22.51 | −$26.05 | −$51.05 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $23.56 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% | $61.39 | −$12.17 |
| 50% | $96.68 | +$23.12 |
| 75% | $132 | +$58.40 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 34%. 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 | $240 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $88.80 | −$151 | 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 | $240 | $88.80 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $64.90 | — | — |
| 9 | $56.51 | $113 | $40.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $20.50 | — | — |
| 8 | $58.17 | $18.00 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $22.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $32.13 | — | — | $13.00 |
| 6 | $31.99 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $140 | — | — | — |
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 Butterfree — FAQ
Is Butterfree worth grading?
A PSA 10 Butterfree sells for $167 against $23.56 raw: a $144 spread, 7.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.11) 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 Butterfree worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Butterfree (Expedition Base Set 38/165) sells for about $167 versus $23.56 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Butterfree?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $240, ahead of CGC 10 at $88.80. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Butterfree 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 Butterfree break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Butterfree breaks even when it gems about 34% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.11).
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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