Is Babe Ruth #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1948 Leaf · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #3 sells for $749,633 against $3,435 raw: a $746,198 spread, 218× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($84,000) 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)
- $3,435
- PSA 10
- $749,633
- PSA 9
- $84,000
- Gem premium
- 218×
- 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 | $749,633 | +$746,173 | +$746,148 | +$746,048 |
| PSA 9 | $84,000 | +$80,540 | +$80,515 | +$80,415 |
| PSA 8 | $40,260 | +$36,800 | +$36,775 | +$36,675 |
Net = sale price − $3,435 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% | $250,408 | +$246,923 |
| 50% | $416,816 | +$413,331 |
| 75% | $583,225 | +$579,739 |
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 | $974,523 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $749,633 | −$224,890 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $449,780 | −$524,743 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $449,780 | −$524,743 | 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 Babe Ruth #3 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #3 sells for $749,633 against $3,435 raw: a $746,198 spread, 218× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($84,000) 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 Babe Ruth #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #3 (Baseball Cards 1948 Leaf) sells for about $749,633 versus $3,435 for a raw near-mint copy — a 218× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $974,523, ahead of PSA 10 at $749,633. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #3 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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