Is Lou Gehrig #160 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lou Gehrig #160 sells for $1,257,795 against $3,116 raw: a $1,254,679 spread, 404× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($187,088) 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)
- $3,116
- PSA 10
- $1,257,795
- PSA 9
- $187,088
- Gem premium
- 404×
- 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 | $1,257,795 | +$1,254,654 | +$1,254,629 | +$1,254,529 |
| PSA 9 | $187,088 | +$183,947 | +$183,922 | +$183,822 |
| PSA 8 | $126,000 | +$122,859 | +$122,834 | +$122,734 |
Net = sale price − $3,116 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% | $454,764 | +$451,599 |
| 50% | $722,441 | +$719,276 |
| 75% | $990,118 | +$986,953 |
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 | $1,635,134 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,257,795 | −$377,339 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $754,677 | −$880,457 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $2,905 | −$1,632,229 | 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 | $1,257,795 | $754,677 | $1,635,134 | $2,905 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $347,171 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $187,088 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $126,000 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $31,720 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Lou Gehrig #160 — FAQ
Is Lou Gehrig #160 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lou Gehrig #160 sells for $1,257,795 against $3,116 raw: a $1,254,679 spread, 404× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($187,088) 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 Lou Gehrig #160 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lou Gehrig #160 (Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey) sells for about $1,257,795 versus $3,116 for a raw near-mint copy — a 404× premium as of Aug 9, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lou Gehrig #160?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,635,134, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,257,795. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lou Gehrig #160 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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