Is George Watkins #53 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1934 Goudey · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 George Watkins #53 sells for $11,938 against $30.26 raw: a $11,908 spread, 395× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,782) 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)
- $30.26
- PSA 10
- $11,938
- PSA 9
- $1,782
- Gem premium
- 395×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $11,938 | +$11,883 | +$11,858 | +$11,758 |
| PSA 9 | $1,782 | +$1,726 | +$1,701 | +$1,601 |
| PSA 8 | $1,235 | +$1,179 | +$1,154 | +$1,054 |
Net = sale price − $30.26 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% | $4,321 | +$4,241 |
| 50% | $6,860 | +$6,780 |
| 75% | $9,399 | +$9,319 |
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 | $15,520 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $11,938 | −$3,582 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $7,163 | −$8,357 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $7,163 | −$8,357 | 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 | $11,938 | $7,163 | $15,520 | $7,163 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $3,305 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $1,782 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $1,235 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $330 |
Run your own numbers
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Other 1934 Goudey cards worth checking
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Grading George Watkins #53 — FAQ
Is George Watkins #53 worth grading?
A PSA 10 George Watkins #53 sells for $11,938 against $30.26 raw: a $11,908 spread, 395× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,782) 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 George Watkins #53 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 George Watkins #53 (Baseball Cards 1934 Goudey) sells for about $11,938 versus $30.26 for a raw near-mint copy — a 395× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for George Watkins #53?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $15,520, ahead of PSA 10 at $11,938. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does George Watkins #53 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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