Is Squirtle worth grading?
Pokémon · McDonald's Collection 2021 · 17/25 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 130× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Squirtle sells for $182 against $1.40 raw: a $181 spread, 130× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.02) 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)
- $1.40
- PSA 10
- $182
- PSA 9
- $20.02
- Gem premium
- 130×
- As of
- Aug 18, 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 | $182 | +$156 | +$131 | +$31.02 |
| PSA 9 | $20.02 | −$6.38 | −$31.38 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $12.33 | −$14.07 | −$39.07 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.40 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% | $60.62 | +$9.22 |
| 50% | $101 | +$49.82 |
| 75% | $142 | +$90.42 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $294 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.95 | −$251 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $11.00 | −$283 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $294 | $42.95 | — | $11.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $8.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $22.90 | $24.19 | $35.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $8.50 | $12.00 | — |
| 8 | $6.50 | $20.18 | — | — |
| 7 | $12.72 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $9.83 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $8.51 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Squirtle — FAQ
Is Squirtle worth grading?
A PSA 10 Squirtle sells for $182 against $1.40 raw: a $181 spread, 130× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.02) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Squirtle worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Squirtle (McDonald's Collection 2021 17/25) sells for about $182 versus $1.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 130× premium as of Aug 18, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Squirtle?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $294, ahead of CGC 10 at $42.95. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Squirtle 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 Squirtle break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Squirtle breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.02).
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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