Is Swellow worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon · 45/97 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 9 Swellow sells for $71.75 against $1.67 raw: a $70.08 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.95) 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)
- $1.67
- PSA 9
- $71.75
- PSA 9
- $31.95
- Gem premium
- 43×
- 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 9 | $71.75 | +$45.08 | +$20.08 | −$79.92 |
| PSA 9 | $31.95 | +$5.28 | −$19.72 | −$120 |
| PSA 8 | $34.83 | +$8.16 | −$16.84 | −$117 |
Net = sale price − $1.67 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% | $41.90 | −$9.77 |
| 50% | $51.85 | +$0.18 |
| 75% | $61.80 | +$10.13 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 50%. 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 | $69.99 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $69.99 |
| 9.5 | — | $7.55 |
| 9 | $71.75 | $39.81 |
| 8.5 | — | $29.96 |
| 8 | $34.83 | $25.34 |
| 7 | $29.31 | — |
| 6 | $24.87 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Dragon cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Swellow — FAQ
Is Swellow worth grading?
A PSA 9 Swellow sells for $71.75 against $1.67 raw: a $70.08 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.95) 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.
What centering does Swellow 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 Swellow break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Swellow breaks even when it gems about 50% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.95).
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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