Is Cotton Pippen #136 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1940 Play Ball · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Cotton Pippen #136 sells for $4,410 against $13.00 raw: a $4,397 spread, 339× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($662) 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)
- $13.00
- PSA 10
- $4,410
- PSA 9
- $662
- Gem premium
- 339×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $4,410 | +$4,372 | +$4,347 | +$4,247 |
| PSA 9 | $662 | +$624 | +$599 | +$499 |
| PSA 8 | $158 | +$120 | +$94.50 | −$5.50 |
Net = sale price − $13.00 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% | $1,599 | +$1,536 |
| 50% | $2,536 | +$2,473 |
| 75% | $3,473 | +$3,410 |
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 | $5,733 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $4,410 | −$1,323 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $2,646 | −$3,087 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $2,646 | −$3,087 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1940 Play Ball cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Cotton Pippen #136 — FAQ
Is Cotton Pippen #136 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cotton Pippen #136 sells for $4,410 against $13.00 raw: a $4,397 spread, 339× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($662) 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 Cotton Pippen #136 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cotton Pippen #136 (Baseball Cards 1940 Play Ball) sells for about $4,410 versus $13.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 339× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cotton Pippen #136?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $5,733, ahead of PSA 10 at $4,410. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cotton Pippen #136 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.
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
