Is Slowpoke worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet · 204/198 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Slowpoke sells for $688 against $40.50 raw: a $647 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($61.25) 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)
- $40.50
- PSA 10
- $688
- PSA 9
- $61.25
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $688 | +$622 | +$597 | +$497 |
| PSA 9 | $61.25 | −$4.25 | −$29.25 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $45.84 | −$19.66 | −$44.66 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $40.50 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% | $218 | +$127 |
| 50% | $374 | +$284 |
| 75% | $531 | +$441 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $688 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $603 | −$84.57 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $198 | −$489 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $688 | $198 | — | — | $603 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $27.56 | — | $29.95 | — | — |
| 9 | $61.25 | $13.70 | $31.59 | $25.67 | $57.75 | $50.62 |
| 8.5 | $23.12 | $18.80 | $18.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $45.84 | $15.00 | — | $25.53 | $50.00 | — |
| 7 | $15.99 | $6.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $24.28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $32.40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $25.72 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $642 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Scarlet & Violet cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Slowpoke — FAQ
Is Slowpoke worth grading?
A PSA 10 Slowpoke sells for $688 against $40.50 raw: a $647 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($61.25) 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 Slowpoke worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Slowpoke (Scarlet & Violet 204/198) sells for about $688 versus $40.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Slowpoke?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $688, ahead of TAG 10 at $603. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Slowpoke 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 Slowpoke break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Slowpoke breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $61.25).
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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