![Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 (Baseball Cards 1998 Upper Deck UD3) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-IEAAeSwAftpF7Ar/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Upper Deck UD3 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 sells for $96.46 against $3.24 raw: a $93.22 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.75) 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)
- $3.24
- PSA 10
- $96.46
- PSA 9
- $21.75
- Gem premium
- 30×
- 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 | $96.46 | +$68.22 | +$43.22 | −$56.78 |
| PSA 9 | $21.75 | −$6.49 | −$31.49 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $10.85 | −$17.39 | −$42.39 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $3.24 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% | $40.43 | −$12.81 |
| 50% | $59.10 | +$5.86 |
| 75% | $77.78 | +$24.54 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 42%. 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 | $125 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $96.46 | −$28.54 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $58.00 | −$67.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $58.00 | −$67.00 | 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 | $96.46 | $58.00 | $125 | $58.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.37 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.75 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.85 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Upper Deck UD3 cards worth checking
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![Bernie Williams [Die Cut] #179 1998 Upper Deck UD3 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QC8AAOSwZD1iX3DJ/s-l500.jpg)
![Hideo Nomo [Die Cut] #62 1998 Upper Deck UD3 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-IEAAeSwAftpF7Ar/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Die Cut] #135 1998 Upper Deck UD3 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Wx4AAeSwunhopm4E/s-l500.jpg)
![Hideo Nomo [Die Cut] #152 1998 Upper Deck UD3 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QLYAAeSwoPNqS~Zq/s-l500.jpg)
![Derek Jeter [Die Cut] #79 1998 Upper Deck UD3 card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/onoAAeSwAzZqY8kn/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 — FAQ
Is Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 sells for $96.46 against $3.24 raw: a $93.22 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.75) 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 Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 (Baseball Cards 1998 Upper Deck UD3) sells for about $96.46 versus $3.24 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $125, ahead of PSA 10 at $96.46. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 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 Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Jim Thome [Die Cut] #54 breaks even when it gems about 42% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.75).
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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