Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
Pokémon · FireRed & LeafGreen · 54/112 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $182 against $16.37 raw: a $165 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.08) 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)
- $16.37
- PSA 10
- $182
- PSA 9
- $44.08
- Gem premium
- 11×
- As of
- Aug 18, 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 | $182 | +$140 | +$115 | +$15.35 |
| PSA 9 | $44.08 | +$2.71 | −$22.29 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $43.25 | +$1.88 | −$23.12 | −$123 |
Net = sale price − $16.37 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% | $78.49 | +$12.12 |
| 50% | $113 | +$46.53 |
| 75% | $147 | +$80.94 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $923 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| PSA 10 | $182 | −$741 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $22.00 | −$901 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $182 | $923 | $22.00 | — | $172 |
| 9.5 | — | $19.20 | $23.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $576 | $297 | $18.00 | $100 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $18.65 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $67.57 | — | — | $39.99 | — |
| 7 | $19.01 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $150 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other FireRed & LeafGreen cards worth checking
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Grading Bulbasaur — FAQ
Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $182 against $16.37 raw: a $165 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.08) 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 (FireRed & LeafGreen 54/112) sells for about $182 versus $16.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Aug 18, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bulbasaur?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $923, ahead of PSA 10 at $182. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bulbasaur 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 Bulbasaur break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bulbasaur breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.08).
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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