Is Poliwag worth grading?
Pokémon · Skyridge · 87/144 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Poliwag sells for $386 against $20.87 raw: a $365 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.01) 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)
- $20.87
- PSA 10
- $386
- PSA 9
- $16.01
- 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 | $386 | +$340 | +$315 | +$215 |
| PSA 9 | $16.01 | −$29.86 | −$54.86 | −$155 |
| PSA 8 | $24.50 | −$21.37 | −$46.37 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $20.87 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% | $108 | +$37.58 |
| 50% | $201 | +$130 |
| 75% | $293 | +$222 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $386 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $56.00 | −$330 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $386 | $56.00 | $108 |
| 9.5 | — | $8.01 | — |
| 9 | $107 | $25.29 | — |
| 8 | $108 | — | — |
| 6 | $34.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $19.99 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Skyridge cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Poliwag — FAQ
Is Poliwag worth grading?
A PSA 10 Poliwag sells for $386 against $20.87 raw: a $365 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.01) 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 Poliwag worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Poliwag (Skyridge 87/144) sells for about $386 versus $20.87 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Poliwag?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $386, ahead of CGC 10 at $56.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Poliwag 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 Poliwag break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Poliwag breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.01).
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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