Is Charizard worth grading?
Pokémon · Arceus · 1/99 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charizard sells for $318 against $73.67 raw: a $245 spread, 4.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($698) 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)
- $73.67
- PSA 10
- $318
- PSA 9
- $698
- Gem premium
- 4.3×
- 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 | $318 | +$220 | +$195 | +$94.52 |
| PSA 9 | $698 | +$600 | +$575 | +$475 |
| PSA 8 | $264 | +$166 | +$141 | +$40.52 |
Net = sale price − $73.67 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% | $603 | +$480 |
| 50% | $508 | +$385 |
| 75% | $413 | +$290 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $957 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $404 | −$553 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $318 | −$639 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $318 | $957 | — | — | $404 | $423 |
| 9.5 | — | $299 | $836 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $500 | $159 | $60.75 | $213 | $400 | — |
| 8.5 | $404 | $70.63 | $206 | $47.00 | $185 | — |
| 8 | $72.42 | $86.95 | $72.10 | $99.85 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $41.00 | $68.60 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $89.95 | $40.00 | — | $59.73 | $34.00 | $96.73 |
| 6.5 | — | $44.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $76.11 | $44.90 | — | $47.80 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $44.58 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $95.58 | $18.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $30.21 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $37.00 | — | — | $13.00 | — | — |
| 3 | $49.94 | — | $33.00 | $29.99 | — | — |
| 2 | $45.58 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $26.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Arceus cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charizard — FAQ
Is Charizard worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charizard sells for $318 against $73.67 raw: a $245 spread, 4.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($698) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Charizard worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charizard (Arceus 1/99) sells for about $318 versus $73.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charizard?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $957, ahead of TAG 10 at $404. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charizard 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.
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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