Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
Pokémon · Crystal Guardians · 45/100 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $189 against $11.59 raw: a $178 spread, 16× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.77) 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)
- $11.59
- PSA 10
- $189
- PSA 9
- $42.77
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $189 | +$153 | +$128 | +$27.85 |
| PSA 9 | $42.77 | +$6.18 | −$18.82 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $21.25 | −$15.34 | −$40.34 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $11.59 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% | $79.44 | +$17.85 |
| 50% | $116 | +$54.52 |
| 75% | $153 | +$91.18 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $2,182 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $1,857 | −$325 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $67.97 | −$2,114 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,182 | $67.97 | — | $1,857 |
| 9.5 | — | $36.00 | $49.81 | — |
| 9 | $466 | $16.97 | — | $22.59 |
| 8.5 | $95.00 | $43.87 | — | — |
| 8 | $151 | $21.60 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $30.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $65.00 | $10.00 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $65.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $49.00 | $8.65 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $39.99 | — | — |
| 5 | $15.17 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $43.00 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $130 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Crystal Guardians cards worth checking
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Grading Bulbasaur — FAQ
Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $189 against $11.59 raw: a $178 spread, 16× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.77) 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 Bulbasaur worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur (Crystal Guardians 45/100) sells for about $189 versus $11.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 16× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bulbasaur?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,182, ahead of TAG 10 at $1,857. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bulbasaur 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 Bulbasaur break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bulbasaur breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.77).
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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