Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Up · 11/181 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $158 against $0.52 raw: a $158 spread, 304× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.95) 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)
- $0.52
- PSA 10
- $158
- PSA 9
- $49.95
- Gem premium
- 304×
- 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 | $158 | +$133 | +$108 | +$7.76 |
| PSA 9 | $49.95 | +$24.43 | −$0.57 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $8.00 | −$17.52 | −$42.52 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $0.52 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% | $77.03 | +$26.51 |
| 50% | $104 | +$53.60 |
| 75% | $131 | +$80.68 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $158 | best | 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 | $158 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $13.00 |
| 9 | $49.95 | — |
| 8 | $14.00 | — |
| 6 | $6.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Team Up cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $158 against $0.52 raw: a $158 spread, 304× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.95) 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 Charmander worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charmander (Team Up 11/181) sells for about $158 versus $0.52 for a raw near-mint copy — a 304× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
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 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.95).
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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