Is Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2005 Donruss Studio Stars · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 sells for $79.22 against $4.65 raw: a $74.57 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.63) 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)
- $4.65
- PSA 10
- $79.22
- PSA 9
- $20.63
- Gem premium
- 17×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $79.22 | +$49.57 | +$24.57 | −$75.43 |
| PSA 9 | $20.63 | −$9.02 | −$34.02 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $11.21 | −$18.44 | −$43.44 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $4.65 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% | $35.28 | −$19.37 |
| 50% | $49.92 | −$4.73 |
| 75% | $64.57 | +$9.92 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $103 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $79.22 | −$23.78 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$55.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $48.00 | −$55.00 | 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 Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 — FAQ
Is Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 sells for $79.22 against $4.65 raw: a $74.57 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.63) 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 Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 (Baseball Cards 2005 Donruss Studio Stars) sells for about $79.22 versus $4.65 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $103, ahead of PSA 10 at $79.22. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 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 Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Randy Johnson [Gold] #S-49 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.63).
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