Is Tommy Holmes #289 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1952 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tommy Holmes #289 sells for $6,741 against $27.33 raw: a $6,714 spread, 247× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,471) 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)
- $27.33
- PSA 10
- $6,741
- PSA 9
- $1,471
- Gem premium
- 247×
- 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 | $6,741 | +$6,689 | +$6,664 | +$6,564 |
| PSA 9 | $1,471 | +$1,419 | +$1,394 | +$1,294 |
| PSA 8 | $1,337 | +$1,285 | +$1,260 | +$1,160 |
Net = sale price − $27.33 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% | $2,789 | +$2,711 |
| 50% | $4,106 | +$4,029 |
| 75% | $5,424 | +$5,346 |
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 | $8,764 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $6,741 | −$2,023 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $4,045 | −$4,719 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $4,045 | −$4,719 | 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 Tommy Holmes #289 — FAQ
Is Tommy Holmes #289 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tommy Holmes #289 sells for $6,741 against $27.33 raw: a $6,714 spread, 247× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,471) 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 Tommy Holmes #289 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tommy Holmes #289 (Baseball Cards 1952 Topps) sells for about $6,741 versus $27.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 247× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tommy Holmes #289?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $8,764, ahead of PSA 10 at $6,741. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tommy Holmes #289 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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