Is Tentacruel worth grading?
Pokémon · Southern Islands · 10/18 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tentacruel sells for $325 against $49.54 raw: a $275 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($128) 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)
- $49.54
- PSA 10
- $325
- PSA 9
- $128
- Gem premium
- 6.6×
- 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 | $325 | +$250 | +$225 | +$125 |
| PSA 9 | $128 | +$53.42 | +$28.42 | −$71.58 |
| PSA 8 | $72.32 | −$2.22 | −$27.22 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $49.54 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% | $177 | +$77.66 |
| 50% | $226 | +$127 |
| 75% | $276 | +$176 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $325 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $33.74 | −$291 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $325 | $33.74 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $75.00 | $65.00 |
| 9 | $128 | $68.90 | $30.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $50.00 | — |
| 8 | $72.32 | $27.93 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $25.30 | — |
| 7 | $38.11 | — | — |
| 6 | $39.55 | — | — |
| 4 | $41.00 | — | — |
| 1 | $100 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Southern Islands cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Tentacruel — FAQ
Is Tentacruel worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tentacruel sells for $325 against $49.54 raw: a $275 spread, 6.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($128) 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 Tentacruel worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tentacruel (Southern Islands 10/18) sells for about $325 versus $49.54 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tentacruel?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $325, ahead of CGC 10 at $33.74. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tentacruel 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.
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.
Check my card free