Is Ray Boone #23 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Red Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ray Boone #23 sells for $2,249 against $8.75 raw: a $2,240 spread, 257× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($290) 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)
- $8.75
- PSA 10
- $2,249
- PSA 9
- $290
- Gem premium
- 257×
- 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 | $2,249 | +$2,215 | +$2,190 | +$2,090 |
| PSA 9 | $290 | +$256 | +$231 | +$131 |
| PSA 8 | $128 | +$93.75 | +$68.75 | −$31.25 |
Net = sale price − $8.75 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% | $780 | +$721 |
| 50% | $1,269 | +$1,211 |
| 75% | $1,759 | +$1,700 |
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 | $2,923 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,249 | −$674 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,349 | −$1,574 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,349 | −$1,574 | 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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Other 1951 Topps Red Back cards worth checking
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Grading Ray Boone #23 — FAQ
Is Ray Boone #23 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ray Boone #23 sells for $2,249 against $8.75 raw: a $2,240 spread, 257× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($290) 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 Ray Boone #23 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ray Boone #23 (Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Red Back) sells for about $2,249 versus $8.75 for a raw near-mint copy — a 257× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ray Boone #23?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,923, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,249. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ray Boone #23 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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