Is David Cone #116 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Laser · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 David Cone #116 sells for $92.39 against $2.22 raw: a $90.17 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.67) 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)
- $2.22
- PSA 10
- $92.39
- PSA 9
- $20.67
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $92.39 | +$65.17 | +$40.17 | −$59.83 |
| PSA 9 | $20.67 | −$6.55 | −$31.55 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $10.12 | −$17.10 | −$42.10 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.22 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% | $38.60 | −$13.62 |
| 50% | $56.53 | +$4.31 |
| 75% | $74.46 | +$22.24 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 | $120 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $92.39 | −$27.61 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $55.00 | −$65.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $55.00 | −$65.00 | 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 David Cone #116 — FAQ
Is David Cone #116 worth grading?
A PSA 10 David Cone #116 sells for $92.39 against $2.22 raw: a $90.17 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.67) 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 David Cone #116 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 David Cone #116 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps Laser) sells for about $92.39 versus $2.22 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for David Cone #116?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $120, ahead of PSA 10 at $92.39. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does David Cone #116 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 David Cone #116 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting David Cone #116 breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.67).
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