Is Babe Herman #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Babe Herman #5 sells for $12,965 against $46.00 raw: a $12,919 spread, 282× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,934) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $46.00
- PSA 10
- $12,965
- PSA 9
- $1,934
- Gem premium
- 282×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $12,965 | +$12,894 | +$12,869 | +$12,769 |
| PSA 9 | $1,934 | +$1,863 | +$1,838 | +$1,738 |
| PSA 8 | $723 | +$652 | +$627 | +$527 |
Net = sale price − $46.00 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% | $4,692 | +$4,596 |
| 50% | $7,449 | +$7,353 |
| 75% | $10,207 | +$10,111 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $16,854 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $12,965 | −$3,889 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $7,779 | −$9,075 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $7,779 | −$9,075 | 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 Babe Herman #5 — FAQ
Is Babe Herman #5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Herman #5 sells for $12,965 against $46.00 raw: a $12,919 spread, 282× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,934) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Babe Herman #5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Herman #5 (Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey) sells for about $12,965 versus $46.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 282× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Herman #5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $16,854, ahead of PSA 10 at $12,965. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Herman #5 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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