Is Joe DiMaggio #26 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1939 Play Ball · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Joe DiMaggio #26 sells for $649,207 against $1,875 raw: a $647,332 spread, 346× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96,686) 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)
- $1,875
- PSA 10
- $649,207
- PSA 9
- $96,686
- Gem premium
- 346×
- 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 | $649,207 | +$647,307 | +$647,282 | +$647,182 |
| PSA 9 | $96,686 | +$94,786 | +$94,761 | +$94,661 |
| PSA 8 | $27,676 | +$25,776 | +$25,751 | +$25,651 |
Net = sale price − $1,875 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% | $234,816 | +$232,891 |
| 50% | $372,947 | +$371,022 |
| 75% | $511,077 | +$509,152 |
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 | $843,969 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $649,207 | −$194,762 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $389,524 | −$454,445 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $389,524 | −$454,445 | 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 | $649,207 | $389,524 | $843,969 | $389,524 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $178,757 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $96,686 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $27,676 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9,334 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Joe DiMaggio #26 — FAQ
Is Joe DiMaggio #26 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe DiMaggio #26 sells for $649,207 against $1,875 raw: a $647,332 spread, 346× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96,686) 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 Joe DiMaggio #26 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe DiMaggio #26 (Baseball Cards 1939 Play Ball) sells for about $649,207 versus $1,875 for a raw near-mint copy — a 346× premium as of Aug 9, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe DiMaggio #26?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $843,969, ahead of PSA 10 at $649,207. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe DiMaggio #26 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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