Is Pidgey worth grading?
Pokémon · Obsidian Flames · 207/197 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 12× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Pidgey sells for $204 against $16.79 raw: a $187 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.02) 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)
- $16.79
- PSA 10
- $204
- PSA 9
- $27.02
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $204 | +$162 | +$137 | +$36.95 |
| PSA 9 | $27.02 | −$14.77 | −$39.77 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $19.71 | −$22.08 | −$47.08 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $16.79 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% | $71.20 | +$4.41 |
| 50% | $115 | +$48.59 |
| 75% | $160 | +$92.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 23%. 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 | $204 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $144 | −$59.79 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| SGC 10 | $54.77 | −$149 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $51.07 | −$153 | 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 | $204 | $51.07 | — | $54.77 | $144 | $103 |
| 9.5 | — | $22.96 | — | $20.52 | — | — |
| 9 | $27.02 | $19.15 | $15.48 | $25.00 | $11.41 | $29.38 |
| 8.5 | $21.07 | $9.51 | $13.23 | — | $20.00 | — |
| 8 | $19.71 | $9.02 | — | — | — | $25.37 |
| 7 | $11.58 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $9.53 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $11.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Obsidian Flames cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Pidgey — FAQ
Is Pidgey worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pidgey sells for $204 against $16.79 raw: a $187 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.02) 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 Pidgey worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pidgey (Obsidian Flames 207/197) sells for about $204 versus $16.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pidgey?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $204, ahead of TAG 10 at $144. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pidgey 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 Pidgey break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pidgey breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.02).
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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