Is Bob Lemon #238 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1949 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Bob Lemon #238 sells for $36,228 against $137 raw: a $36,091 spread, 264× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($5,417) 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)
- $137
- PSA 10
- $36,228
- PSA 9
- $5,417
- Gem premium
- 264×
- 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 | $36,228 | +$36,066 | +$36,041 | +$35,941 |
| PSA 9 | $5,417 | +$5,255 | +$5,230 | +$5,130 |
| PSA 8 | $1,960 | +$1,798 | +$1,773 | +$1,673 |
Net = sale price − $137 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% | $13,120 | +$12,932 |
| 50% | $20,823 | +$20,635 |
| 75% | $28,525 | +$28,338 |
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 | $47,097 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $36,228 | −$10,869 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $21,737 | −$25,360 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $21,737 | −$25,360 | 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 | $36,228 | $21,737 | $47,097 | $21,737 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $9,939 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $5,417 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $1,960 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $919 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Bob Lemon #238 — FAQ
Is Bob Lemon #238 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bob Lemon #238 sells for $36,228 against $137 raw: a $36,091 spread, 264× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($5,417) 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 Bob Lemon #238 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bob Lemon #238 (Baseball Cards 1949 Bowman) sells for about $36,228 versus $137 for a raw near-mint copy — a 264× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bob Lemon #238?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $47,097, ahead of PSA 10 at $36,228. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bob Lemon #238 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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