Is Christian Villanueva #38 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2018 Topps Living · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Christian Villanueva #38 sell for $15.99, only $13.09 above the $2.90 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.00) 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)
- $2.90
- PSA 10
- $15.99
- PSA 9
- $8.00
- Gem premium
- 5.5×
- 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 | $15.99 | −$11.91 | −$36.91 | −$137 |
| PSA 9 | $8.00 | −$19.90 | −$44.90 | −$145 |
| PSA 8 | $7.24 | −$20.66 | −$45.66 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $2.90 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% | $10.00 | −$42.90 |
| 50% | $12.00 | −$40.91 |
| 75% | $13.99 | −$38.91 |
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 | $21.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $15.99 | −$5.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $10.00 | −$11.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $10.00 | −$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.
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Grading Christian Villanueva #38 — FAQ
Is Christian Villanueva #38 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Christian Villanueva #38 sell for $15.99, only $13.09 above the $2.90 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.00) 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 Christian Villanueva #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Christian Villanueva #38 (Baseball Cards 2018 Topps Living) sells for about $15.99 versus $2.90 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.5× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Christian Villanueva #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $21.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $15.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Christian Villanueva #38 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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