Is Smeargle worth grading?
Pokémon · Aquapolis · 109/147 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Smeargle sells for $66.00 against $12.06 raw: a $53.94 spread, 5.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($8.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $12.06
- PSA 10
- $66.00
- PSA 9
- $8.00
- Gem premium
- 5.5×
- 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 | $66.00 | +$28.94 | +$3.94 | −$96.06 |
| PSA 9 | $8.00 | −$29.06 | −$54.06 | −$154 |
| PSA 8 | $86.82 | +$49.76 | +$24.76 | −$75.24 |
Net = sale price − $12.06 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% | $22.50 | −$39.56 |
| 50% | $37.00 | −$25.06 |
| 75% | $51.50 | −$10.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 93%. 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 | $445 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.80 | −$414 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $445 | $30.80 |
| 9.5 | — | $49.00 |
| 9 | $29.00 | $21.06 |
| 8.5 | — | $79.20 |
| 8 | $86.82 | — |
| 7 | $61.00 | — |
| 6 | $9.02 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Aquapolis cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Smeargle — FAQ
Is Smeargle worth grading?
A PSA 10 Smeargle sells for $66.00 against $12.06 raw: a $53.94 spread, 5.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($8.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Smeargle worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Smeargle (Aquapolis 109/147) sells for about $66.00 versus $12.06 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.5× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Smeargle?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $445, ahead of CGC 10 at $30.80. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Smeargle 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 Smeargle break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Smeargle breaks even when it gems about 93% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $8.00).
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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