Is Carlos Baerga #S1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Laser Stadium Stars · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 58× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Carlos Baerga #S1 sells for $58.04 against $1.00 raw: a $57.04 spread, 58× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.80) 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)
- $1.00
- PSA 10
- $58.04
- PSA 9
- $14.80
- Gem premium
- 58×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $58.04 | +$32.04 | +$7.04 | −$92.96 |
| PSA 9 | $14.80 | −$11.20 | −$36.20 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $7.30 | −$18.70 | −$43.70 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.00 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% | $25.61 | −$25.39 |
| 50% | $36.42 | −$14.58 |
| 75% | $47.23 | −$3.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 84%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $75.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $58.04 | −$16.96 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$40.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$40.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Topps Laser Stadium Stars cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Carlos Baerga #S1 — FAQ
Is Carlos Baerga #S1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Carlos Baerga #S1 sells for $58.04 against $1.00 raw: a $57.04 spread, 58× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.80) 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 Carlos Baerga #S1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Carlos Baerga #S1 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Laser Stadium Stars) sells for about $58.04 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 58× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Carlos Baerga #S1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $75.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $58.04. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Carlos Baerga #S1 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Carlos Baerga #S1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Carlos Baerga #S1 breaks even when it gems about 84% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.80).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
