Is Tentacruel worth grading?
Pokémon · Aquapolis · 38/147 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tentacruel sells for $126 against $13.18 raw: a $113 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($38.91) 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)
- $13.18
- PSA 10
- $126
- PSA 9
- $38.91
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- 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 | $126 | +$87.50 | +$62.50 | −$37.50 |
| PSA 9 | $38.91 | +$0.73 | −$24.27 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $23.00 | −$15.18 | −$40.18 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $13.18 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% | $60.60 | −$2.58 |
| 50% | $82.30 | +$19.12 |
| 75% | $104 | +$40.81 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $666 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.92 | −$634 | 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 | $666 | $31.92 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $71.59 | — |
| 9 | $126 | $88.80 | $24.00 |
| 8.5 | $45.00 | $46.70 | — |
| 8 | $110 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $27.13 | — |
| 7 | $60.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $27.91 | — | — |
| 5 | $20.00 | — | — |
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 Tentacruel — FAQ
Is Tentacruel worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tentacruel sells for $126 against $13.18 raw: a $113 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($38.91) 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 Tentacruel worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tentacruel (Aquapolis 38/147) sells for about $126 versus $13.18 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.5× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tentacruel?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $666, ahead of CGC 10 at $31.92. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tentacruel 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 Tentacruel break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tentacruel breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $38.91).
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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