Is Lou Boudreau #11 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1949 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lou Boudreau #11 sells for $12,168 against $45.83 raw: a $12,122 spread, 266× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($835) 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)
- $45.83
- PSA 10
- $12,168
- PSA 9
- $835
- Gem premium
- 266×
- 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 | $12,168 | +$12,097 | +$12,072 | +$11,972 |
| PSA 9 | $835 | +$764 | +$739 | +$639 |
| PSA 8 | $640 | +$569 | +$544 | +$444 |
Net = sale price − $45.83 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% | $3,668 | +$3,572 |
| 50% | $6,502 | +$6,406 |
| 75% | $9,335 | +$9,239 |
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 | $15,819 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $12,168 | −$3,651 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $7,301 | −$8,518 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $7,301 | −$8,518 | 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 Lou Boudreau #11 — FAQ
Is Lou Boudreau #11 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lou Boudreau #11 sells for $12,168 against $45.83 raw: a $12,122 spread, 266× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($835) 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 Lou Boudreau #11 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lou Boudreau #11 (Baseball Cards 1949 Bowman) sells for about $12,168 versus $45.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 266× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lou Boudreau #11?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $15,819, ahead of PSA 10 at $12,168. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lou Boudreau #11 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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