Is Joe Tipton #159 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1950 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Joe Tipton #159 sells for $1,883 against $6.24 raw: a $1,877 spread, 302× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($138) 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)
- $6.24
- PSA 10
- $1,883
- PSA 9
- $138
- Gem premium
- 302×
- 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 | $1,883 | +$1,852 | +$1,827 | +$1,727 |
| PSA 9 | $138 | +$107 | +$81.79 | −$18.21 |
| PSA 8 | $125 | +$93.34 | +$68.34 | −$31.66 |
Net = sale price − $6.24 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% | $574 | +$518 |
| 50% | $1,010 | +$954 |
| 75% | $1,447 | +$1,390 |
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 | $2,448 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,883 | −$565 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,130 | −$1,318 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,130 | −$1,318 | 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 | $1,883 | $1,130 | $2,448 | $1,130 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $527 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $138 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $125 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $52.54 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Joe Tipton #159 — FAQ
Is Joe Tipton #159 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Tipton #159 sells for $1,883 against $6.24 raw: a $1,877 spread, 302× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($138) 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 Joe Tipton #159 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Tipton #159 (Baseball Cards 1950 Bowman) sells for about $1,883 versus $6.24 for a raw near-mint copy — a 302× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Tipton #159?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,448, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,883. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Tipton #159 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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