Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 044 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $590 against $61.55 raw: a $528 spread, 9.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($108) 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)
- $61.55
- PSA 10
- $590
- PSA 9
- $108
- Gem premium
- 9.6×
- As of
- Aug 17, 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 | $590 | +$503 | +$478 | +$378 |
| PSA 9 | $108 | +$21.61 | −$3.39 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $66.99 | −$19.56 | −$44.56 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $61.55 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% | $229 | +$117 |
| 50% | $349 | +$238 |
| 75% | $470 | +$358 |
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 | $6,202 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,900 | −$4,302 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,443 | −$4,760 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $586 | −$5,617 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
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 | $6,202 | $1,443 | — | $1,900 | $550 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $309 | $385 | $262 | — | — |
| 9 | $325 | $234 | $286 | $80.11 | $486 | $408 |
| 8.5 | $192 | $178 | $155 | $138 | $89.40 | — |
| 8 | $174 | $124 | $23.41 | $10.00 | $81.56 | $171 |
| 7.5 | — | $126 | — | — | $49.00 | — |
| 7 | $181 | $55.19 | — | — | $400 | $91.79 |
| 6.5 | — | $49.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $215 | $24.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $91.00 | — | — | — | $53.00 | $216 |
| 4 | $42.66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $43.89 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $133 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $444 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $590 against $61.55 raw: a $528 spread, 9.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($108) 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 (Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos 044) sells for about $590 versus $61.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.6× premium as of Aug 17, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $6,202, ahead of SGC 10 at $1,900. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
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 $108).
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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