Is Poliwhirl worth grading?
Pokémon · 151 · 176/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.6× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Poliwhirl sells for $352 against $40.99 raw: a $311 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($63.76) 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)
- $40.99
- PSA 10
- $352
- PSA 9
- $63.76
- Gem premium
- 8.6×
- 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 | $352 | +$286 | +$261 | +$161 |
| PSA 9 | $63.76 | −$2.23 | −$27.23 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $36.27 | −$29.72 | −$54.72 | −$155 |
Net = sale price − $40.99 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% | $136 | +$44.83 |
| 50% | $208 | +$117 |
| 75% | $280 | +$189 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $352 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $257 | −$94.91 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $113 | −$239 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $65.72 | −$286 | 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 | $352 | $113 | — | $65.72 | $257 | $218 |
| 9.5 | — | $37.75 | $36.95 | $15.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $63.76 | $40.35 | $30.97 | $25.95 | $44.63 | $53.35 |
| 8.5 | $19.99 | $13.59 | $24.96 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $36.27 | $8.54 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $14.55 | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $28.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Poliwhirl — FAQ
Is Poliwhirl worth grading?
A PSA 10 Poliwhirl sells for $352 against $40.99 raw: a $311 spread, 8.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($63.76) 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 Poliwhirl worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Poliwhirl (151 176/165) sells for about $352 versus $40.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.6× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Poliwhirl?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $352, ahead of TAG 10 at $257. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Poliwhirl 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 Poliwhirl break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Poliwhirl breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $63.76).
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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