Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
Pokémon · Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos · 046 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 90× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $173 against $1.91 raw: a $171 spread, 90× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.91) 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)
- $1.91
- PSA 10
- $173
- PSA 9
- $22.91
- Gem premium
- 90×
- As of
- Aug 14, 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 | $173 | +$146 | +$121 | +$20.80 |
| PSA 9 | $22.91 | −$4.00 | −$29.00 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $16.83 | −$10.08 | −$35.08 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $1.91 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% | $60.36 | +$8.45 |
| 50% | $97.81 | +$45.90 |
| 75% | $135 | +$83.35 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $173 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $23.53 | −$149 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $173 | $23.53 | — | — | $20.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $14.32 | $76.28 | — | — |
| 9 | $22.91 | $7.52 | $13.82 | $10.00 | $12.71 |
| 8.5 | $11.50 | $5.56 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $16.83 | $7.68 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $9.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $7.16 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | — | — | $1.25 | — |
| 6 | $8.22 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $9.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $26.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $24.52 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Bulbasaur — FAQ
Is Bulbasaur worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur sells for $173 against $1.91 raw: a $171 spread, 90× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.91) 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 Bulbasaur worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bulbasaur (Scarlet & Violet Black Star Promos 046) sells for about $173 versus $1.91 for a raw near-mint copy — a 90× premium as of Aug 14, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bulbasaur?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $173, ahead of CGC 10 at $23.53. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bulbasaur 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 Bulbasaur break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bulbasaur breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.91).
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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