
Is Max Kepler #138 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2016 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Max Kepler #138 sell for $15.00, only $13.61 above the $1.39 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.11) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.39
- PSA 10
- $15.00
- PSA 9
- $12.11
- Gem premium
- 11×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $15.00 | −$11.39 | −$36.39 | −$136 |
| PSA 9 | $12.11 | −$14.28 | −$39.28 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $6.09 | −$20.30 | −$45.30 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.39 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% | $12.83 | −$38.56 |
| 50% | $13.55 | −$37.84 |
| 75% | $14.28 | −$37.11 |
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 | $20.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $15.00 | −$5.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $9.00 | −$11.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $9.00 | −$11.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $15.00 | $9.00 | $20.00 | $9.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $13.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.11 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.09 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2016 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Max Kepler #138 — FAQ
Is Max Kepler #138 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Max Kepler #138 sell for $15.00, only $13.61 above the $1.39 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.11) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Max Kepler #138 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Max Kepler #138 (Baseball Cards 2016 Topps Chrome) sells for about $15.00 versus $1.39 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Max Kepler #138?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $20.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $15.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Max Kepler #138 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.
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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