Is Babe Ruth #149 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #149 sells for $5,806,918 against $15,446 raw: a $5,791,472 spread, 376× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($863,714) 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)
- $15,446
- PSA 10
- $5,806,918
- PSA 9
- $863,714
- Gem premium
- 376×
- As of
- Aug 9, 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 | $5,806,918 | +$5,791,447 | +$5,791,422 | +$5,791,322 |
| PSA 9 | $863,714 | +$848,243 | +$848,218 | +$848,118 |
| PSA 8 | $315,031 | +$299,560 | +$299,535 | +$299,435 |
Net = sale price − $15,446 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% | $2,099,515 | +$2,084,019 |
| 50% | $3,335,316 | +$3,319,820 |
| 75% | $4,571,117 | +$4,555,621 |
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 | $7,548,994 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,806,918 | −$1,742,076 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,484,151 | −$4,064,843 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,484,151 | −$4,064,843 | 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 | $5,806,918 | $3,484,151 | $7,548,994 | $3,484,151 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $1,602,763 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $863,714 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $315,031 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $111,000 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Babe Ruth #149 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #149 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #149 sells for $5,806,918 against $15,446 raw: a $5,791,472 spread, 376× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($863,714) 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 Ruth #149 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #149 (Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey) sells for about $5,806,918 versus $15,446 for a raw near-mint copy — a 376× premium as of Aug 9, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #149?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $7,548,994, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,806,918. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #149 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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