Is Steve Balboni #638 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Tiffany · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 66× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Balboni #638 sells for $135 against $2.05 raw: a $133 spread, 66× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.70) 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)
- $2.05
- PSA 10
- $135
- PSA 9
- $26.70
- Gem premium
- 66×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $135 | +$108 | +$82.59 | −$17.41 |
| PSA 9 | $26.70 | −$0.35 | −$25.35 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $12.29 | −$14.76 | −$39.76 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $2.05 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% | $53.68 | +$1.63 |
| 50% | $80.67 | +$28.62 |
| 75% | $108 | +$55.60 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 23%. 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 | $175 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $135 | −$40.36 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $81.00 | −$94.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $81.00 | −$94.00 | 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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Grading Steve Balboni #638 — FAQ
Is Steve Balboni #638 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Balboni #638 sells for $135 against $2.05 raw: a $133 spread, 66× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.70) 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 Steve Balboni #638 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Balboni #638 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps Tiffany) sells for about $135 versus $2.05 for a raw near-mint copy — a 66× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Balboni #638?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $175, ahead of PSA 10 at $135. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Balboni #638 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 Steve Balboni #638 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Balboni #638 breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.70).
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