Is Lloyd Waner #89 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1939 Play Ball · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lloyd Waner #89 sells for $16,412 against $48.00 raw: a $16,364 spread, 342× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,450) 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)
- $48.00
- PSA 10
- $16,412
- PSA 9
- $2,450
- Gem premium
- 342×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $16,412 | +$16,339 | +$16,314 | +$16,214 |
| PSA 9 | $2,450 | +$2,377 | +$2,352 | +$2,252 |
| PSA 8 | $458 | +$385 | +$360 | +$260 |
Net = sale price − $48.00 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% | $5,940 | +$5,842 |
| 50% | $9,431 | +$9,333 |
| 75% | $12,921 | +$12,823 |
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 | $21,335 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $16,412 | −$4,923 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $9,847 | −$11,488 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $9,847 | −$11,488 | 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 Lloyd Waner #89 — FAQ
Is Lloyd Waner #89 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lloyd Waner #89 sells for $16,412 against $48.00 raw: a $16,364 spread, 342× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,450) 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 Lloyd Waner #89 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lloyd Waner #89 (Baseball Cards 1939 Play Ball) sells for about $16,412 versus $48.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 342× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lloyd Waner #89?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $21,335, ahead of PSA 10 at $16,412. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lloyd Waner #89 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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