Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 98/165 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $878 against $49.77 raw: a $828 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($94.07) 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)
- $49.77
- PSA 10
- $878
- PSA 9
- $94.07
- 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 | $878 | +$803 | +$778 | +$678 |
| PSA 9 | $94.07 | +$19.30 | −$5.70 | −$106 |
| PSA 8 | $67.35 | −$7.42 | −$32.42 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $49.77 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% | $290 | +$190 |
| 50% | $486 | +$386 |
| 75% | $682 | +$582 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $878 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $180 | −$699 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $98.32 | −$780 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $44.91 | −$833 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $131 | $98.32 | — | $41.00 | $180 |
| 9.5 | — | $105 | $550 | — | — |
| 9 | $928 | $199 | $209 | $27.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $399 | $55.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $376 | $28.80 | — | $24.44 | — |
| 7 | $273 | $31.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $168 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $48.58 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $23.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $79.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $107 | — | — | — | — |
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 Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $878 against $49.77 raw: a $828 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($94.07) 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 Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmander (Expedition Base Set 98/165) sells for about $878 versus $49.77 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $878, ahead of TAG 10 at $180. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charmander 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 Charmander break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charmander breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $94.07).
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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