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Jim Hearn #38 (Baseball Cards 1953 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Jim Hearn #38 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1953 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Jim Hearn #38 sells for $5,328 against $6.00 raw: a $5,322 spread, 888× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,440) 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)
$6.00
PSA 10
$5,328
PSA 9
$4,440
Gem premium
888×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Jim Hearn #38: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$5,328+$5,297+$5,272+$5,172
PSA 9$4,440+$4,409+$4,384+$4,284
PSA 8$134+$103+$78.34−$21.66

Net = sale price − $6.00 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?

Jim Hearn #38: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$4,662+$4,606
50%$4,884+$4,828
75%$5,106+$5,050

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
Jim Hearn #38: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$6,926best55/4570/30
PSA 10$5,328−$1,59855/4575/25
CGC 10$3,197−$3,72955/4575/25
SGC 10$3,197−$3,72955/4575/25

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.

Jim Hearn #38 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$5,328$3,197$6,926$3,197
9.5$4,884
9$4,440
8$134
7$92.00

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1953 Topps cards worth checking

Full set checklist

Grading Jim Hearn #38 — FAQ

Is Jim Hearn #38 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Jim Hearn #38 sells for $5,328 against $6.00 raw: a $5,322 spread, 888× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,440) 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 Jim Hearn #38 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Jim Hearn #38 (Baseball Cards 1953 Topps) sells for about $5,328 versus $6.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 888× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Jim Hearn #38?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $6,926, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,328. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Jim Hearn #38 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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