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Jose Altuve #278 (Baseball Cards 2026 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Jose Altuve #278 worth grading?

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Strong grading candidate — 221× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Jose Altuve #278 sells for $221 against $1.00 raw: a $220 spread, 221× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.55) 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)
$1.00
PSA 10
$221
PSA 9
$11.55
Gem premium
221×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Jose Altuve #278: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$221+$195+$170+$69.50
PSA 9$11.55−$14.45−$39.45−$139
PSA 8$5.89−$20.11−$45.11−$145

Net = sale price − $1.00 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?

Jose Altuve #278: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$63.79+$12.79
50%$116+$65.03
75%$168+$117

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
Jose Altuve #278: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$287best55/4570/30
PSA 10$221−$66.5055/4575/25
CGC 10$132−$15555/4575/25
SGC 10$132−$15555/4575/25

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.

Jose Altuve #278 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$221$132$287$132
9.5$22.93
9$11.55
8$5.89

Run your own numbers

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Grading Jose Altuve #278 — FAQ

Is Jose Altuve #278 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Jose Altuve #278 sells for $221 against $1.00 raw: a $220 spread, 221× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.55) 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 Jose Altuve #278 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Jose Altuve #278 (Baseball Cards 2026 Topps) sells for about $221 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 221× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Jose Altuve #278?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $287, ahead of PSA 10 at $221. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Jose Altuve #278 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 Jose Altuve #278 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Jose Altuve #278 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.55).

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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