Is John Means #FA-JM worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2020 Topps Finest Autographs · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of John Means #FA-JM sell for $24.00, only $17.96 above the $6.04 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.75) 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)
- $6.04
- Grade 9.5
- $24.00
- PSA 9
- $21.75
- Gem premium
- 4.0×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $24.00 | −$7.04 | −$32.04 | −$132 |
| PSA 9 | $21.75 | −$9.29 | −$34.29 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $6.04 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% | $22.31 | −$33.73 |
| 50% | $22.88 | −$33.16 |
| 75% | $23.44 | −$32.60 |
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 | $5.51 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
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 John Means #FA-JM — FAQ
Is John Means #FA-JM worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of John Means #FA-JM sell for $24.00, only $17.96 above the $6.04 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.75) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
What centering does John Means #FA-JM 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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