Is Piplup worth grading?
Pokémon · POP Series 6 · 15/17 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Piplup sells for $5,000 against $34.45 raw: a $4,966 spread, 145× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($61.12) 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)
- $34.45
- CGC 10
- $5,000
- PSA 9
- $61.12
- Gem premium
- 145×
- As of
- Oct 1, 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 | $5,000 | +$4,941 | +$4,916 | +$4,816 |
| PSA 9 | $61.12 | +$1.67 | −$23.33 | −$123 |
| PSA 8 | $36.63 | −$22.82 | −$47.82 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $34.45 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% | $1,296 | +$1,211 |
| 50% | $2,531 | +$2,446 |
| 75% | $3,765 | +$3,681 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $5,000 | 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.
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Raw conditions & history →Run your own numbers
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Other POP Series 6 cards worth checking
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Grading Piplup — FAQ
Is Piplup worth grading?
A CGC 10 Piplup sells for $5,000 against $34.45 raw: a $4,966 spread, 145× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($61.12) 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.
What centering does Piplup 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.
What gem rate makes grading Piplup break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Piplup breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $61.12).
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