Is Smeargle worth grading?
Pokémon · Lost Thunder · 157/214 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 8
A PSA 8 Smeargle sells for $87.00 against $6.69 raw: a $80.31 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.00) 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)
- $6.69
- PSA 8
- $87.00
- PSA 9
- $12.00
- Gem premium
- 13×
- As of
- Sep 25, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 8 | $87.00 | +$55.31 | +$30.31 | −$69.69 |
| PSA 9 | $12.00 | −$19.69 | −$44.69 | −$145 |
| PSA 8 | $87.00 | +$55.31 | +$30.31 | −$69.69 |
Net = sale price − $6.69 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% | $30.75 | −$25.94 |
| 50% | $49.50 | −$7.19 |
| 75% | $68.25 | +$11.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 60%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Smeargle — FAQ
Is Smeargle worth grading?
A PSA 8 Smeargle sells for $87.00 against $6.69 raw: a $80.31 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.00) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Smeargle break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Smeargle breaks even when it gems about 60% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.00).
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