Is Lt. Surge's Raichu worth grading?
Pokémon · Gym Challenge · 11/132 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Raichu sells for $2,324 against $170 raw: a $2,154 spread, 14× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($457) 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)
- $170
- PSA 10
- $2,324
- PSA 9
- $457
- Gem premium
- 14×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $2,324 | +$2,129 | +$2,104 | +$2,004 |
| PSA 9 | $457 | +$262 | +$237 | +$137 |
| PSA 8 | $223 | +$27.64 | +$2.64 | −$97.36 |
Net = sale price − $170 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% | $923 | +$703 |
| 50% | $1,390 | +$1,170 |
| 75% | $1,857 | +$1,637 |
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 | $2,324 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $382 | −$1,942 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $563 | $109 | — | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $113 | $100 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $152 | $114 | $135 | — | $169 | — |
| 8.5 | $108 | $86.65 | $62.49 | $69.99 | $68.00 | — |
| 8 | $102 | $66.86 | — | $57.00 | — | $80.79 |
| 7.5 | — | $65.71 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $99.09 | $64.99 | — | $59.04 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $24.03 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $67.93 | $42.83 | — | $20.00 | $68.00 | — |
| 5.5 | — | $19.80 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $52.18 | $24.89 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $29.27 | $15.03 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $43.19 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $29.99 | — | — | $12.00 | — | — |
| 1 | $48.69 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Gym Challenge cards worth checking
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Grading Lt. Surge's Raichu — FAQ
Is Lt. Surge's Raichu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Raichu sells for $2,324 against $170 raw: a $2,154 spread, 14× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($457) 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 Lt. Surge's Raichu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lt. Surge's Raichu (Gym Challenge 11/132) sells for about $2,324 versus $170 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lt. Surge's Raichu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,324, ahead of CGC 10 at $382. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lt. Surge's Raichu 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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