Is Professor Elm's Lecture worth grading?
Pokémon · Lost Thunder · 213/214 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Professor Elm's Lecture sells for $835 against $157 raw: a $678 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($183) 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)
- $157
- PSA 10
- $835
- PSA 9
- $183
- Gem premium
- 5.3×
- 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 | $835 | +$653 | +$628 | +$528 |
| PSA 9 | $183 | +$0.85 | −$24.15 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $93.37 | −$88.93 | −$114 | −$214 |
Net = sale price − $157 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% | $346 | +$139 |
| 50% | $509 | +$302 |
| 75% | $672 | +$465 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $835 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $178 | −$657 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $835 | $178 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | $198 | — | — |
| 9 | $183 | $124 | — | $80.00 | $162 |
| 8.5 | — | $35.21 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $93.37 | $89.82 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $60.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $75.08 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $85.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Professor Elm's Lecture — FAQ
Is Professor Elm's Lecture worth grading?
A PSA 10 Professor Elm's Lecture sells for $835 against $157 raw: a $678 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($183) 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 Professor Elm's Lecture worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Professor Elm's Lecture (Lost Thunder 213/214) sells for about $835 versus $157 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Professor Elm's Lecture?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $835, ahead of CGC 10 at $178. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Professor Elm's Lecture 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 Professor Elm's Lecture break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Professor Elm's Lecture breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $183).
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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