Is Sam Mele #25 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Sam Mele #25 sells for $5,294 against $21.28 raw: a $5,273 spread, 249× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($295) 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)
- $21.28
- PSA 10
- $5,294
- PSA 9
- $295
- Gem premium
- 249×
- 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 | $5,294 | +$5,248 | +$5,223 | +$5,123 |
| PSA 9 | $295 | +$249 | +$224 | +$124 |
| PSA 8 | $135 | +$88.43 | +$63.43 | −$36.57 |
Net = sale price − $21.28 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% | $1,545 | +$1,474 |
| 50% | $2,795 | +$2,723 |
| 75% | $4,044 | +$3,973 |
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 | $6,883 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,294 | −$1,589 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,177 | −$3,706 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,177 | −$3,706 | 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 | $5,294 | $3,177 | $6,883 | $3,177 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $1,461 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $295 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $135 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $82.83 |
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 Sam Mele #25 — FAQ
Is Sam Mele #25 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sam Mele #25 sells for $5,294 against $21.28 raw: a $5,273 spread, 249× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($295) 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 Sam Mele #25 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sam Mele #25 (Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back) sells for about $5,294 versus $21.28 for a raw near-mint copy — a 249× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sam Mele #25?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $6,883, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,294. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sam Mele #25 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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