Is Charmeleon worth grading?
Pokémon · Phantasmal Flames · 012/094 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Charmeleon sell for $19.50, only $19.29 above the $0.21 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($14.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.21
- PSA 10
- $19.50
- PSA 9
- $14.00
- Gem premium
- 93×
- 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 | $19.50 | −$5.71 | −$30.71 | −$131 |
| PSA 9 | $14.00 | −$11.21 | −$36.21 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $22.95 | −$2.26 | −$27.26 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $0.21 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% | $15.38 | −$34.84 |
| 50% | $16.75 | −$33.46 |
| 75% | $18.13 | −$32.09 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $65.42 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $39.85 | −$25.57 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $65.42 | $39.85 | — |
| 9 | $17.79 | $15.74 | $17.99 |
| 8 | $14.54 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Phantasmal Flames cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charmeleon — FAQ
Is Charmeleon worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Charmeleon sell for $19.50, only $19.29 above the $0.21 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($14.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Charmeleon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmeleon (Phantasmal Flames 012/094) sells for about $19.50 versus $0.21 for a raw near-mint copy — a 93× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmeleon?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $65.42, ahead of CGC 10 at $39.85. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charmeleon 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.
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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