Is Persian worth grading?
Pokémon · HeartGold & SoulSilver · 27/123 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 53× premium in CGC 10
A CGC 10 Persian sells for $180 against $3.40 raw: a $177 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.02) 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)
- $3.40
- CGC 10
- $180
- PSA 9
- $12.02
- Gem premium
- 53×
- 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 | $180 | +$152 | +$127 | +$26.60 |
| PSA 9 | $12.02 | −$16.38 | −$41.38 | −$141 |
| PSA 8 | $13.49 | −$14.91 | −$39.91 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $3.40 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% | $54.02 | +$0.62 |
| 50% | $96.01 | +$42.61 |
| 75% | $138 | +$84.60 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $180 | 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 | — | $180 |
| 9 | $17.00 | $5.99 |
| 8 | $7.93 | — |
| 6 | $10.00 | — |
| 5 | — | $10.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other HeartGold & SoulSilver cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Persian — FAQ
Is Persian worth grading?
A CGC 10 Persian sells for $180 against $3.40 raw: a $177 spread, 53× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.02) 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 Persian 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 Persian break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Persian breaks even when it gems about 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.02).
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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