Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Ascended Heroes · 020/217 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 471× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $80.00 against $0.17 raw: a $79.83 spread, 471× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.40) 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)
- $0.17
- PSA 10
- $80.00
- PSA 9
- $16.40
- Gem premium
- 471×
- As of
- Aug 15, 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 | $80.00 | +$54.83 | +$29.83 | −$70.17 |
| PSA 9 | $16.40 | −$8.77 | −$33.77 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $15.00 | −$10.17 | −$35.17 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $0.17 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% | $32.30 | −$17.87 |
| 50% | $48.20 | −$1.97 |
| 75% | $64.10 | +$13.93 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 53%. 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 | $656 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.81 | −$625 | 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 | $387 | $30.81 | $39.70 |
| 9.5 | — | $10.50 | — |
| 9 | $15.52 | $29.95 | $13.66 |
| 8 | $15.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Ascended Heroes cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $80.00 against $0.17 raw: a $79.83 spread, 471× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.40) 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 Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmander (Ascended Heroes 020/217) sells for about $80.00 versus $0.17 for a raw near-mint copy — a 471× premium as of Aug 15, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $656, ahead of CGC 10 at $30.81. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charmander 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 Charmander break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charmander breaks even when it gems about 53% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.40).
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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