Is Combusken worth grading?
Pokémon · Ruby & Sapphire · 28/109 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.6× premium in CGC 10
A CGC 10 Combusken sells for $229 against $26.83 raw: a $203 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.94) 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)
- $26.83
- CGC 10
- $229
- PSA 9
- $13.94
- Gem premium
- 8.6×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $229 | +$178 | +$153 | +$52.62 |
| PSA 9 | $13.94 | −$37.89 | −$62.89 | −$163 |
| PSA 8 | $55.00 | +$3.17 | −$21.83 | −$122 |
Net = sale price − $26.83 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% | $67.82 | −$9.01 |
| 50% | $122 | +$44.86 |
| 75% | $176 | +$98.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $229 | best | 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.
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Grading Combusken — FAQ
Is Combusken worth grading?
A CGC 10 Combusken sells for $229 against $26.83 raw: a $203 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.94) 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.
What centering does Combusken need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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 Combusken break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Combusken breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.94).
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