Is Shohei Ohtani #79 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2018 Topps Throwback Thursday · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shohei Ohtani #79 sells for $1,561 against $397 raw: a $1,163 spread, 3.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($221) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $397
- PSA 10
- $1,561
- PSA 9
- $221
- Gem premium
- 3.9×
- 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 | $1,561 | +$1,138 | +$1,113 | +$1,013 |
| PSA 9 | $221 | −$201 | −$226 | −$326 |
| PSA 8 | $91.82 | −$331 | −$356 | −$456 |
Net = sale price − $397 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% | $556 | +$109 |
| 50% | $891 | +$444 |
| 75% | $1,226 | +$779 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $2,029 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,561 | −$468 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $937 | −$1,092 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $500 | −$1,529 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2018 Topps Throwback Thursday cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Shohei Ohtani #79 — FAQ
Is Shohei Ohtani #79 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shohei Ohtani #79 sells for $1,561 against $397 raw: a $1,163 spread, 3.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($221) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Shohei Ohtani #79 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shohei Ohtani #79 (Baseball Cards 2018 Topps Throwback Thursday) sells for about $1,561 versus $397 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.9× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shohei Ohtani #79?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,029, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,561. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shohei Ohtani #79 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 Shohei Ohtani #79 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shohei Ohtani #79 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $221).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
