Is Squirtle worth grading?
Pokémon · SWSH Black Star Promos · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 192× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Squirtle sells for $3,474 against $18.08 raw: a $3,456 spread, 192× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.03) 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)
- $18.08
- PSA 10
- $3,474
- PSA 9
- $26.03
- Gem premium
- 192×
- 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 | $3,474 | +$3,431 | +$3,406 | +$3,306 |
| PSA 9 | $26.03 | −$17.05 | −$42.05 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $18.67 | −$24.41 | −$49.41 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $18.08 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% | $888 | +$820 |
| 50% | $1,750 | +$1,682 |
| 75% | $2,612 | +$2,544 |
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 | $3,474 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $21.57 | −$3,452 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $3,474 | $21.57 |
| 9 | $26.03 | $21.42 |
| 8.5 | — | $14.99 |
| 8 | $18.67 | — |
| 7 | $14.11 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other SWSH Black Star Promos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Squirtle — FAQ
Is Squirtle worth grading?
A PSA 10 Squirtle sells for $3,474 against $18.08 raw: a $3,456 spread, 192× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.03) 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 Squirtle worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Squirtle (SWSH Black Star Promos) sells for about $3,474 versus $18.08 for a raw near-mint copy — a 192× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Squirtle?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $3,474, ahead of CGC 10 at $21.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Squirtle 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 Squirtle break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Squirtle breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.03).
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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