Is Spoink worth grading?
Pokémon · Emerald · 65/106 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Spoink sells for $150 against $0.63 raw: a $149 spread, 238× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($45.27) 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)
- $0.63
- CGC 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $45.27
- Gem premium
- 238×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $150 | +$124 | +$99.36 | −$0.64 |
| PSA 9 | $45.27 | +$19.64 | −$5.36 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $8.00 | −$17.63 | −$42.63 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $0.63 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% | $71.45 | +$20.82 |
| 50% | $97.63 | +$47.00 |
| 75% | $124 | +$73.18 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $150 | 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 | BGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $150 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $4.78 | $5.13 |
| 9 | $104 | $34.80 | — |
| 8 | $44.34 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $6.00 | — |
| 6 | $23.33 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Emerald cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Spoink — FAQ
Is Spoink worth grading?
A CGC 10 Spoink sells for $150 against $0.63 raw: a $149 spread, 238× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($45.27) 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 Spoink 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 Spoink break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Spoink breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $45.27).
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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