Is ピカチュウ worth grading?
Pokémon · The Best of XY · 029/171 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 ピカチュウ sells for $246 against $7.12 raw: a $239 spread, 35× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.50) 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)
- $7.12
- PSA 10
- $246
- PSA 9
- $54.50
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $246 | +$214 | +$189 | +$89.34 |
| PSA 9 | $54.50 | +$22.38 | −$2.62 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $33.00 | +$0.88 | −$24.12 | −$124 |
Net = sale price − $7.12 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% | $102 | +$45.37 |
| 50% | $150 | +$93.36 |
| 75% | $198 | +$141 |
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 | $1,532 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.66 | −$1,490 | 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 | $1,532 | $41.66 |
| 9 | $54.50 | $232 |
| 8.5 | — | $12.50 |
| 8 | $33.00 | — |
| 6 | $29.99 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading ピカチュウ — FAQ
Is ピカチュウ worth grading?
A PSA 10 ピカチュウ sells for $246 against $7.12 raw: a $239 spread, 35× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.50) 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 ピカチュウ worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 ピカチュウ (The Best of XY 029/171) sells for about $246 versus $7.12 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for ピカチュウ?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,532, ahead of CGC 10 at $41.66. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does ピカチュウ 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 ピカチュウ break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting ピカチュウ breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $54.50).
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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