Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Burning Shadows · 18/147 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 866× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $260 against $0.30 raw: a $260 spread, 866× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.71) 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)
- $0.30
- PSA 10
- $260
- PSA 9
- $19.71
- Gem premium
- 866×
- 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 | $260 | +$235 | +$210 | +$110 |
| PSA 9 | $19.71 | −$5.59 | −$30.59 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $13.01 | −$12.29 | −$37.29 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $0.30 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% | $79.77 | +$29.47 |
| 50% | $140 | +$89.52 |
| 75% | $200 | +$150 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $2,640 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $58.88 | −$2,581 | 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 | $224 | $41.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $8.00 |
| 9 | $25.86 | $25.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $13.00 |
| 8 | $17.26 | $3.25 |
| 7.5 | — | $20.00 |
| 7 | $22.50 | $19.95 |
| 6 | $15.50 | — |
| 4 | $3.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Burning Shadows cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $260 against $0.30 raw: a $260 spread, 866× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.71) 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 Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmander (Burning Shadows 18/147) sells for about $260 versus $0.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 866× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,640, ahead of CGC 10 at $58.88. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charmander 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 Charmander break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charmander breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.71).
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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