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 $26.54 raw: a $4,973 spread, 188× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.03) 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)
- $26.54
- CGC 10
- $5,000
- PSA 9
- $60.03
- Gem premium
- 188×
- 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 | $5,000 | +$4,948 | +$4,923 | +$4,823 |
| PSA 9 | $60.03 | +$8.49 | −$16.51 | −$117 |
| PSA 8 | $38.33 | −$13.21 | −$38.21 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $26.54 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% | $1,295 | +$1,218 |
| 50% | $2,530 | +$2,453 |
| 75% | $3,765 | +$3,688 |
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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $5,000 |
| 9.5 | — | $36.00 |
| 9 | $60.03 | $68.13 |
| 8.5 | — | $35.17 |
| 8 | $38.33 | $27.66 |
| 7.5 | — | $10.50 |
| 7 | $29.99 | — |
| 6 | $25.52 | — |
| 4 | $20.00 | — |
| 1 | $84.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other POP Series 6 cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Piplup — FAQ
Is Piplup worth grading?
A CGC 10 Piplup sells for $5,000 against $26.54 raw: a $4,973 spread, 188× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.03) 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 $60.03).
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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