Is Professor Birch's Observations worth grading?
Pokémon · Primal Clash · 159/160 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Professor Birch's Observations sells for $1,500 against $19.10 raw: a $1,481 spread, 79× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.09) 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)
- $19.10
- PSA 10
- $1,500
- PSA 9
- $60.09
- Gem premium
- 79×
- As of
- Sep 25, 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 | $1,500 | +$1,456 | +$1,431 | +$1,331 |
| PSA 9 | $60.09 | +$15.99 | −$9.01 | −$109 |
| PSA 8 | $16.61 | −$27.49 | −$52.49 | −$152 |
Net = sale price − $19.10 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% | $420 | +$351 |
| 50% | $780 | +$711 |
| 75% | $1,140 | +$1,071 |
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 | $1,500 | best | 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.
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Grading Professor Birch's Observations — FAQ
Is Professor Birch's Observations worth grading?
A PSA 10 Professor Birch's Observations sells for $1,500 against $19.10 raw: a $1,481 spread, 79× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.09) 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 Birch's Observations worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Professor Birch's Observations (Primal Clash 159/160) sells for about $1,500 versus $19.10 for a raw near-mint copy — a 79× premium as of Sep 25, 2026.
What centering does Professor Birch's Observations 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 Birch's Observations break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Professor Birch's Observations breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $60.09).
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