Is Blastoise worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 4/165 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Blastoise sells for $13,551 against $400 raw: a $13,151 spread, 34× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,063) 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)
- $400
- PSA 10
- $13,551
- PSA 9
- $2,063
- Gem premium
- 34×
- 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 | $13,551 | +$13,126 | +$13,101 | +$13,001 |
| PSA 9 | $2,063 | +$1,638 | +$1,613 | +$1,513 |
| PSA 8 | $1,032 | +$607 | +$582 | +$482 |
Net = sale price − $400 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% | $4,935 | +$4,485 |
| 50% | $7,807 | +$7,357 |
| 75% | $10,679 | +$10,229 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $13,551 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $986 | −$12,565 | 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 | $5,196 | $986 | — | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $250 | $2,449 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $793 | $229 | $222 | — | — | $1,879 |
| 8.5 | $850 | $69.00 | $840 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $330 | $120 | $560 | $83.00 | — | $580 |
| 7.5 | — | $55.00 | $225 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $86.93 | $333 | $99.00 | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $55.20 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $97.42 | $41.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $349 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $53.70 | — | — | — | $450 | — |
| 4.5 | — | $130 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $129 | $85.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $122 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $36.00 | $125 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $75.03 | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Blastoise — FAQ
Is Blastoise worth grading?
A PSA 10 Blastoise sells for $13,551 against $400 raw: a $13,151 spread, 34× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,063) 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 Blastoise worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Blastoise (Expedition Base Set 4/165) sells for about $13,551 versus $400 for a raw near-mint copy — a 34× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Blastoise?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $13,551, ahead of CGC 10 at $986. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Blastoise 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.
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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