Is Caterpie worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 96/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Caterpie sells for $119 against $6.75 raw: a $112 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.64) 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)
- $6.75
- PSA 10
- $119
- PSA 9
- $27.64
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $119 | +$87.43 | +$62.43 | −$37.57 |
| PSA 9 | $27.64 | −$4.11 | −$29.11 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $34.99 | +$3.24 | −$21.76 | −$122 |
Net = sale price − $6.75 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% | $50.53 | −$6.22 |
| 50% | $73.41 | +$16.66 |
| 75% | $96.30 | +$39.55 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 32%. 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 | $219 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $108 | −$111 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $7.00 | −$212 | 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 | SGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $219 | $108 | $7.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $26.00 | — |
| 9 | $86.28 | $23.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $22.93 | $8.00 |
| 8 | $30.94 | — | — |
| 6 | $20.00 | — | — |
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 Caterpie — FAQ
Is Caterpie worth grading?
A PSA 10 Caterpie sells for $119 against $6.75 raw: a $112 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.64) 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 Caterpie worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Caterpie (Expedition Base Set 96/165) sells for about $119 versus $6.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Caterpie?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $219, ahead of CGC 10 at $108. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Caterpie 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 Caterpie break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Caterpie breaks even when it gems about 32% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.64).
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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