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 $5,951 against $99.00 raw: a $5,852 spread, 60× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($465) 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)
- $99.00
- PSA 10
- $5,951
- PSA 9
- $465
- Gem premium
- 60×
- As of
- Sep 13, 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 | $5,951 | +$5,827 | +$5,802 | +$5,702 |
| PSA 9 | $465 | +$341 | +$316 | +$216 |
| PSA 8 | $182 | +$57.98 | +$32.98 | −$67.02 |
Net = sale price − $99.00 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% | $1,836 | +$1,687 |
| 50% | $3,208 | +$3,059 |
| 75% | $4,580 | +$4,431 |
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 | $9,157 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,951 | −$3,206 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $4,000 | −$5,157 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,571 | −$5,586 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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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 $5,951 against $99.00 raw: a $5,852 spread, 60× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($465) 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 $5,951 versus $99.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 60× premium as of Sep 13, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey Jr. [Star Rookie] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $9,157, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,951. 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.
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