Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · FireRed & LeafGreen · 74/112 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $116 against $9.76 raw: a $106 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($63.31) 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)
- $9.76
- PSA 10
- $116
- PSA 9
- $63.31
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $116 | +$80.87 | +$55.87 | −$44.13 |
| PSA 9 | $63.31 | +$28.55 | +$3.55 | −$96.45 |
| PSA 8 | $40.99 | +$6.23 | −$18.77 | −$119 |
Net = sale price − $9.76 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% | $76.39 | +$16.63 |
| 50% | $89.47 | +$29.71 |
| 75% | $103 | +$42.79 |
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 | $6,000 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $3,109 | −$2,891 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $744 | −$5,256 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $6,000 | $744 | — | $3,109 | $933 |
| 9.5 | — | — | $481 | — | — |
| 9 | $449 | $77.15 | — | $10.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $33.72 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $30.97 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $149 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $75.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other FireRed & LeafGreen cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $116 against $9.76 raw: a $106 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($63.31) 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 Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (FireRed & LeafGreen 74/112) sells for about $116 versus $9.76 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $6,000, ahead of TAG 10 at $3,109. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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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