Is Professor Birch worth grading?
Pokémon · Emerald · 82/106 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 167× premium in PSA 8
A PSA 8 Professor Birch sells for $75.00 against $0.45 raw: a $74.55 spread, 167× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.45
- PSA 8
- $75.00
- PSA 9
- $10.00
- Gem premium
- 167×
- 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 8 | $75.00 | +$49.55 | +$24.55 | −$75.45 |
| PSA 9 | $10.00 | −$15.45 | −$40.45 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $75.00 | +$49.55 | +$24.55 | −$75.45 |
Net = sale price − $0.45 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% | $26.25 | −$24.20 |
| 50% | $42.50 | −$7.95 |
| 75% | $58.75 | +$8.30 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $10.28 | 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 | — | $10.28 |
| 9.5 | — | $10.00 |
| 9 | $10.00 | $24.93 |
| 8.5 | — | $10.99 |
| 8 | $75.00 | — |
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 Professor Birch — FAQ
Is Professor Birch worth grading?
A PSA 8 Professor Birch sells for $75.00 against $0.45 raw: a $74.55 spread, 167× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What centering does Professor Birch 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 Professor Birch break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Professor Birch breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.00).
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.
Check my card free