Is David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2025 Topps T205 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] sells for $181 against $37.50 raw: a $144 spread, 4.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($65.77) 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)
- $37.50
- PSA 10
- $181
- PSA 9
- $65.77
- Gem premium
- 4.8×
- 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 | $181 | +$119 | +$93.61 | −$6.39 |
| PSA 9 | $65.77 | +$3.27 | −$21.73 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $37.87 | −$24.63 | −$49.63 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $37.50 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% | $94.61 | +$7.11 |
| 50% | $123 | +$35.94 |
| 75% | $152 | +$64.78 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $235 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $181 | −$53.89 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $109 | −$126 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $109 | −$126 | 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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Grading David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] — FAQ
Is David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] worth grading?
A PSA 10 David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] sells for $181 against $37.50 raw: a $144 spread, 4.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($65.77) 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 David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] (Baseball Cards 2025 Topps T205) sells for about $181 versus $37.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.8× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for David Ortiz [City Connection Variation]?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $235, ahead of PSA 10 at $181. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] 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 David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting David Ortiz [City Connection Variation] breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $65.77).
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