Is Pupitar worth grading?
Pokémon · POP Series 1 · 9/17 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
CGC 10 copies of Pupitar sell for $22.11, only $9.13 above the $12.98 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.17) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $12.98
- CGC 10
- $22.11
- PSA 9
- $10.17
- Gem premium
- 1.7×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $22.11 | −$15.87 | −$40.87 | −$141 |
| PSA 9 | $10.17 | −$27.81 | −$52.81 | −$153 |
Net = sale price − $12.98 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% | $13.15 | −$49.83 |
| 50% | $16.14 | −$46.84 |
| 75% | $19.13 | −$43.86 |
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 | $22.11 | best | 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 | — | $22.11 |
| 9 | $10.17 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $3.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other POP Series 1 cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pupitar — FAQ
Is Pupitar worth grading?
CGC 10 copies of Pupitar sell for $22.11, only $9.13 above the $12.98 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.17) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
What centering does Pupitar 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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