Is Blaine's Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Gym Challenge · 60/132 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Blaine's Charmander sells for $600 against $23.79 raw: a $576 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.17) 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)
- $23.79
- PSA 10
- $600
- PSA 9
- $67.17
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $600 | +$551 | +$526 | +$426 |
| PSA 9 | $67.17 | +$18.38 | −$6.62 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $40.36 | −$8.43 | −$33.43 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $23.79 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% | $200 | +$126 |
| 50% | $333 | +$260 |
| 75% | $466 | +$393 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $600 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $161 | −$439 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $51.72 | $38.61 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $16.00 | $99.63 | — |
| 9 | $14.02 | $24.99 | $16.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $15.02 | $11.00 | — |
| 8 | $10.01 | $24.99 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $12.44 | — | — |
| 7 | $21.77 | $6.00 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $6.02 | — | $14.99 |
| 6 | $9.50 | $10.00 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $20.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $12.46 | $4.00 | — | — |
| 1 | $60.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Gym Challenge cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Blaine's Charmander — FAQ
Is Blaine's Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Blaine's Charmander sells for $600 against $23.79 raw: a $576 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.17) 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 Blaine's Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Blaine's Charmander (Gym Challenge 60/132) sells for about $600 versus $23.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Blaine's Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $600, ahead of CGC 10 at $161. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Blaine's Charmander 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.
What gem rate makes grading Blaine's Charmander break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Blaine's Charmander breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $67.17).
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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