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 $13.67 raw: a $1,486 spread, 110× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.46) 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)
- $13.67
- PSA 10
- $1,500
- PSA 9
- $50.46
- Gem premium
- 110×
- 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 | $1,500 | +$1,461 | +$1,436 | +$1,336 |
| PSA 9 | $50.46 | +$11.79 | −$13.21 | −$113 |
| PSA 8 | $16.50 | −$22.17 | −$47.17 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $13.67 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% | $413 | +$349 |
| 50% | $775 | +$712 |
| 75% | $1,138 | +$1,074 |
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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,500 | — |
| 9 | $50.46 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $19.99 |
| 8 | $16.50 | $19.00 |
| 7.5 | — | $11.50 |
| 7 | $13.99 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Primal Clash cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
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 $13.67 raw: a $1,486 spread, 110× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.46) 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 $13.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 110× premium as of Aug 10, 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 $50.46).
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.
Check my card free