Is John Lackey [Gold] #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2007 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 23× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Lackey [Gold] #1 sells for $46.35 against $1.98 raw: a $44.37 spread, 23× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.87) 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)
- $1.98
- PSA 10
- $46.35
- PSA 9
- $13.87
- Gem premium
- 23×
- 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 | $46.35 | +$19.37 | −$5.63 | −$106 |
| PSA 9 | $13.87 | −$13.11 | −$38.11 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $7.39 | −$19.59 | −$44.59 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.98 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% | $21.99 | −$29.99 |
| 50% | $30.11 | −$21.87 |
| 75% | $38.23 | −$13.75 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $60.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $46.35 | −$13.65 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $28.00 | −$32.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $28.00 | −$32.00 | 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 John Lackey [Gold] #1 — FAQ
Is John Lackey [Gold] #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Lackey [Gold] #1 sells for $46.35 against $1.98 raw: a $44.37 spread, 23× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.87) 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 John Lackey [Gold] #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Lackey [Gold] #1 (Baseball Cards 2007 Topps) sells for about $46.35 versus $1.98 for a raw near-mint copy — a 23× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Lackey [Gold] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $60.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $46.35. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Lackey [Gold] #1 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.
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