![Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 (Soccer Cards 2024 Topps Merlin UEFA) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VWEAAeSwhrZp-NdI/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 worth grading?
Soccer · Soccer Cards 2024 Topps Merlin UEFA · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 sells for $106 against $18.77 raw: a $87.60 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($37.07) 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)
- $18.77
- PSA 10
- $106
- PSA 9
- $37.07
- Gem premium
- 5.7×
- 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 | $106 | +$62.60 | +$37.60 | −$62.40 |
| PSA 9 | $37.07 | −$6.70 | −$31.70 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $20.70 | −$23.07 | −$48.07 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $18.77 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% | $54.40 | −$14.38 |
| 50% | $71.72 | +$2.95 |
| 75% | $89.05 | +$20.28 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 46%. 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 | $138 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $106 | −$31.63 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $64.00 | −$74.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $64.00 | −$74.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $106 | $64.00 | $138 | $64.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $71.07 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $37.07 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $20.70 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 — FAQ
Is Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 sells for $106 against $18.77 raw: a $87.60 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($37.07) 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 Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 (Soccer Cards 2024 Topps Merlin UEFA) sells for about $106 versus $18.77 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.7× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $138, ahead of PSA 10 at $106. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 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 Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Santiago Castro [Rookie Variation] #159 breaks even when it gems about 46% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $37.07).
Is your soccer 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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