Is Charizard worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 39/165 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard sells for $1,488 against $173 raw: a $1,314 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($387) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $173
- PSA 10
- $1,488
- PSA 9
- $387
- Gem premium
- 8.6×
- 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 | $1,488 | +$1,289 | +$1,264 | +$1,164 |
| PSA 9 | $387 | +$189 | +$164 | +$63.55 |
| PSA 8 | $250 | +$51.32 | +$26.32 | −$73.68 |
Net = sale price − $173 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% | $662 | +$439 |
| 50% | $937 | +$714 |
| 75% | $1,212 | +$989 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 10 | $7,000 | best | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $6,231 | −$769 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,000 | −$6,000 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $6,231 | $1,000 | — | — | $7,000 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $426 | $204 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $1,647 | $420 | $831 | — | — | — |
| 8.5 | $1,107 | $630 | $162 | $62.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $367 | $250 | $211 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $145 | $316 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $314 | $109 | — | $175 | $179 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $136 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $207 | — | $222 | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $110 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $95.75 | $86.40 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $65.28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | $132 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $73.87 | — | $31.00 | — | — | — |
| 2.5 | — | $56.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $60.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $96.88 | — | — | — | — | $117 |
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 Charizard — FAQ
Is Charizard worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard sells for $1,488 against $173 raw: a $1,314 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($387) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Charizard worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard (Expedition Base Set 39/165) sells for about $1,488 versus $173 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard?
By resale value, TAG 10 leads at $7,000, ahead of PSA 10 at $6,231. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charizard need for a TAG 10?
TAG publishes 55/45 front and 72/28 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.
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