Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 sells for $5,344 against $97.08 raw: a $5,247 spread, 55× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($428) 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)
- $97.08
- PSA 10
- $5,344
- PSA 9
- $428
- Gem premium
- 55×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $5,344 | +$5,222 | +$5,197 | +$5,097 |
| PSA 9 | $428 | +$306 | +$281 | +$181 |
| PSA 8 | $158 | +$35.42 | +$10.42 | −$89.58 |
Net = sale price − $97.08 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% | $1,657 | +$1,510 |
| 50% | $2,886 | +$2,739 |
| 75% | $4,115 | +$3,968 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $7,711 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,344 | −$2,367 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,239 | −$4,472 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,206 | −$4,505 | 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 | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $5,344 | $3,206 | $7,711 | $3,239 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $1,652 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $428 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $158 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $113 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1989 Upper Deck cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Gary Varsho [Mike Bielecki] #321 1989 Upper Deck card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kMcAAOSw6w5n8BiK/s-l500.jpg)
![Gary Sheffield [Upside Down] #13 1989 Upper Deck card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cXUAAeSwU7xqV9Kw/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 sells for $5,344 against $97.08 raw: a $5,247 spread, 55× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($428) 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 Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 (Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck) sells for about $5,344 versus $97.08 for a raw near-mint copy — a 55× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $7,711, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,344. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1 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.
Is your baseball 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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