Is Charmander worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $768 against $3.73 raw: a $764 spread, 206× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.27) 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)
- $3.73
- PSA 10
- $768
- PSA 9
- $43.27
- Gem premium
- 206×
- 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 | $768 | +$739 | +$714 | +$614 |
| PSA 9 | $43.27 | +$14.54 | −$10.46 | −$110 |
| PSA 8 | $25.10 | −$3.63 | −$28.63 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $3.73 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% | $224 | +$171 |
| 50% | $405 | +$352 |
| 75% | $587 | +$533 |
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 | $768 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $86.61 | −$681 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $768 | $86.61 | — |
| 9 | $43.27 | $10.93 | $37.87 |
| 8.5 | — | $5.01 | $6.00 |
| 8 | $25.10 | $26.61 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $10.00 | — |
| 7 | $15.64 | — | — |
| 6 | $20.96 | $5.00 | — |
| 5 | $7.52 | — | — |
| 1 | $55.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other SWSH Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Charmander — FAQ
Is Charmander worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charmander sells for $768 against $3.73 raw: a $764 spread, 206× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.27) 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 (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $768 versus $3.73 for a raw near-mint copy — a 206× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charmander?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $768, ahead of CGC 10 at $86.61. 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 $43.27).
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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