Is Frank Thomas #2 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Ultra Fame Game · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #2 sells for $137 against $4.50 raw: a $133 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.84) 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)
- $4.50
- PSA 10
- $137
- PSA 9
- $27.84
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $137 | +$108 | +$82.54 | −$17.46 |
| PSA 9 | $27.84 | −$1.66 | −$26.66 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $13.70 | −$15.80 | −$40.80 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $4.50 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% | $55.14 | +$0.64 |
| 50% | $82.44 | +$27.94 |
| 75% | $110 | +$55.24 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $178 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $137 | −$40.96 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 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.
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Other 1997 Ultra Fame Game cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Frank Thomas #2 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #2 sells for $137 against $4.50 raw: a $133 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.84) 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 Frank Thomas #2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #2 (Baseball Cards 1997 Ultra Fame Game) sells for about $137 versus $4.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas #2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $178, ahead of PSA 10 at $137. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas #2 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 Frank Thomas #2 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Frank Thomas #2 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.84).
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