Is Noctowl worth grading?
Pokémon · HeartGold & SoulSilver · 8/123 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Noctowl sells for $120 against $2.20 raw: a $118 spread, 54× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($82.06) 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)
- $2.20
- CGC 10
- $120
- PSA 9
- $82.06
- Gem premium
- 54×
- 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 | $120 | +$92.50 | +$67.50 | −$32.50 |
| PSA 9 | $82.06 | +$54.86 | +$29.86 | −$70.14 |
| PSA 8 | $6.88 | −$20.32 | −$45.32 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $2.20 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% | $91.47 | +$39.27 |
| 50% | $101 | +$48.68 |
| 75% | $110 | +$58.09 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $120 | 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.
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Other HeartGold & SoulSilver cards worth checking
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Grading Noctowl — FAQ
Is Noctowl worth grading?
A CGC 10 Noctowl sells for $120 against $2.20 raw: a $118 spread, 54× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($82.06) 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 Noctowl 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.
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