Is Pikachu worth grading?
Pokémon · Unified Minds · 56/236 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $295 against $6.05 raw: a $289 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.77) 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)
- $6.05
- PSA 10
- $295
- PSA 9
- $29.77
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $295 | +$264 | +$239 | +$139 |
| PSA 9 | $29.77 | −$1.28 | −$26.28 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $10.93 | −$20.12 | −$45.12 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $6.05 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% | $96.07 | +$40.02 |
| 50% | $162 | +$106 |
| 75% | $229 | +$173 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 10%. 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 | $355 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $106 | −$249 | 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 | $355 | $106 |
| 9 | $44.67 | $10.80 |
| 8.5 | — | $25.00 |
| 8 | $39.11 | $11.00 |
| 7 | $20.00 | $14.95 |
| 6 | $7.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Unified Minds cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pikachu — FAQ
Is Pikachu worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pikachu sells for $295 against $6.05 raw: a $289 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.77) 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 Pikachu worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pikachu (Unified Minds 56/236) sells for about $295 versus $6.05 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pikachu?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $355, ahead of CGC 10 at $106. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pikachu 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 Pikachu break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pikachu breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.77).
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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