Is Charmeleon worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon · 99/97 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charmeleon sells for $1,792 against $118 raw: a $1,674 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($348) 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)
- $118
- PSA 10
- $1,792
- PSA 9
- $348
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $1,792 | +$1,649 | +$1,624 | +$1,524 |
| PSA 9 | $348 | +$205 | +$180 | +$80.07 |
| PSA 8 | $253 | +$110 | +$84.58 | −$15.42 |
Net = sale price − $118 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% | $709 | +$541 |
| 50% | $1,070 | +$902 |
| 75% | $1,431 | +$1,263 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $1,792 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $393 | −$1,399 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $396 | $393 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $199 | $345 | — |
| 9 | $138 | $106 | $87.96 | — |
| 8.5 | $50.00 | $109 | $38.00 | — |
| 8 | $253 | $167 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $47.00 | $119 | — |
| 7 | $80.00 | — | — | $168 |
| 6.5 | — | $60.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $137 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $48.19 | $61.61 | — | — |
| 4 | $100 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $79.68 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $79.99 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $176 | — | — | — |
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 Charmeleon — FAQ
Is Charmeleon worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmeleon sells for $1,792 against $118 raw: a $1,674 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($348) 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 Charmeleon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmeleon (Dragon 99/97) sells for about $1,792 versus $118 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmeleon?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,792, ahead of CGC 10 at $393. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charmeleon 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.
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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