Is Slowpoke worth grading?
Pokémon · HeartGold & SoulSilver · 81/123 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in CGC 9
A CGC 9 Slowpoke sells for $60.00 against $4.54 raw: a $55.46 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.50) 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)
- $4.54
- CGC 9
- $60.00
- PSA 9
- $17.50
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 9 | $60.00 | +$30.46 | +$5.46 | −$94.54 |
| PSA 9 | $17.50 | −$12.04 | −$37.04 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $4.54 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% | $28.13 | −$26.41 |
| 50% | $38.75 | −$15.79 |
| 75% | $49.38 | −$5.16 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 87%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | $17.50 | $60.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Other HeartGold & SoulSilver cards worth checking
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Grading Slowpoke — FAQ
Is Slowpoke worth grading?
A CGC 9 Slowpoke sells for $60.00 against $4.54 raw: a $55.46 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.50) 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 gem rate makes grading Slowpoke break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Slowpoke breaks even when it gems about 87% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.50).
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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