Is Sparky Lyle #19 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Danbury Mint 22KT Gold · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sparky Lyle #19 sells for $128 against $3.55 raw: a $124 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.74) 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)
- $3.55
- PSA 10
- $128
- PSA 9
- $26.74
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $128 | +$99.23 | +$74.23 | −$25.77 |
| PSA 9 | $26.74 | −$1.81 | −$26.81 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $13.03 | −$15.52 | −$40.52 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $3.55 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% | $52.00 | −$1.55 |
| 50% | $77.26 | +$23.71 |
| 75% | $103 | +$48.97 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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 | $166 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $128 | −$38.22 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $77.00 | −$89.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $77.00 | −$89.00 | 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 Sparky Lyle #19 — FAQ
Is Sparky Lyle #19 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sparky Lyle #19 sells for $128 against $3.55 raw: a $124 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.74) 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 Sparky Lyle #19 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sparky Lyle #19 (Baseball Cards 1996 Danbury Mint 22KT Gold) sells for about $128 versus $3.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sparky Lyle #19?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $166, ahead of PSA 10 at $128. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sparky Lyle #19 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 Sparky Lyle #19 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sparky Lyle #19 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.74).
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