Is Atley Donald #38 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1941 Play Ball · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Atley Donald #38 sells for $6,646 against $16.09 raw: a $6,630 spread, 413× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($996) 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)
- $16.09
- PSA 10
- $6,646
- PSA 9
- $996
- Gem premium
- 413×
- 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 | $6,646 | +$6,605 | +$6,580 | +$6,480 |
| PSA 9 | $996 | +$955 | +$930 | +$830 |
| PSA 8 | $793 | +$752 | +$727 | +$627 |
Net = sale price − $16.09 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% | $2,408 | +$2,342 |
| 50% | $3,821 | +$3,755 |
| 75% | $5,233 | +$5,167 |
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 | $8,640 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $6,646 | −$1,994 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,987 | −$4,653 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,987 | −$4,653 | 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 | $6,646 | $3,987 | $8,640 | $3,987 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $1,840 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $996 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $793 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $174 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Atley Donald #38 — FAQ
Is Atley Donald #38 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Atley Donald #38 sells for $6,646 against $16.09 raw: a $6,630 spread, 413× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($996) 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 Atley Donald #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Atley Donald #38 (Baseball Cards 1941 Play Ball) sells for about $6,646 versus $16.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 413× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Atley Donald #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $8,640, ahead of PSA 10 at $6,646. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Atley Donald #38 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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