Is Professor Sycamore worth grading?
Pokémon · Steam Siege · 114/114 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Professor Sycamore sells for $159 against $10.78 raw: a $148 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.83) 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)
- $10.78
- PSA 10
- $159
- PSA 9
- $35.83
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $159 | +$123 | +$98.21 | −$1.79 |
| PSA 9 | $35.83 | +$0.05 | −$24.95 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $14.87 | −$20.91 | −$45.91 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $10.78 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% | $66.62 | +$5.84 |
| 50% | $97.41 | +$36.63 |
| 75% | $128 | +$67.42 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $159 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $17.99 | −$141 | 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 | SGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $159 | $17.99 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $6.76 | $19.99 |
| 9 | $35.83 | $14.52 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $8.02 | — |
| 8 | $14.87 | $14.05 | — |
| 7 | $20.80 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $10.00 | — |
| 6 | $14.45 | — | — |
| 5 | $15.95 | — | — |
| 3 | $14.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Professor Sycamore — FAQ
Is Professor Sycamore worth grading?
A PSA 10 Professor Sycamore sells for $159 against $10.78 raw: a $148 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.83) 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 Professor Sycamore worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Professor Sycamore (Steam Siege 114/114) sells for about $159 versus $10.78 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Professor Sycamore?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $159, ahead of CGC 10 at $17.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Professor Sycamore 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 Professor Sycamore break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Professor Sycamore breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.83).
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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