Is Swellow worth grading?
Pokémon · POP Series 1 · 15/17 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 81× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Swellow sells for $147 against $1.82 raw: a $145 spread, 81× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.15) 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)
- $1.82
- PSA 10
- $147
- PSA 9
- $22.15
- Gem premium
- 81×
- 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 | $147 | +$120 | +$95.12 | −$4.88 |
| PSA 9 | $22.15 | −$4.67 | −$29.67 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $8.50 | −$18.32 | −$43.32 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.82 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% | $53.35 | +$1.53 |
| 50% | $84.55 | +$32.73 |
| 75% | $116 | +$63.92 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $147 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $19.07 | −$128 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $147 | $19.07 |
| 9 | $22.15 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $17.91 |
| 8 | $8.50 | $7.19 |
| 7.5 | — | $0.79 |
| 5 | — | $3.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Other POP Series 1 cards worth checking
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Grading Swellow — FAQ
Is Swellow worth grading?
A PSA 10 Swellow sells for $147 against $1.82 raw: a $145 spread, 81× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.15) 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 Swellow worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Swellow (POP Series 1 15/17) sells for about $147 versus $1.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 81× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Swellow?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $147, ahead of CGC 10 at $19.07. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Swellow 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 Swellow break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Swellow breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.15).
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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