Is Al Dark #2 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1955 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Al Dark #2 sells for $1,425 against $6.34 raw: a $1,418 spread, 225× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($219) 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)
- $6.34
- PSA 10
- $1,425
- PSA 9
- $219
- Gem premium
- 225×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $1,425 | +$1,393 | +$1,368 | +$1,268 |
| PSA 9 | $219 | +$188 | +$163 | +$62.52 |
| PSA 8 | $162 | +$131 | +$106 | +$5.97 |
Net = sale price − $6.34 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% | $520 | +$464 |
| 50% | $822 | +$765 |
| 75% | $1,123 | +$1,067 |
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 | $1,852 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,425 | −$427 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $855 | −$997 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $855 | −$997 | 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 Al Dark #2 — FAQ
Is Al Dark #2 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Al Dark #2 sells for $1,425 against $6.34 raw: a $1,418 spread, 225× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($219) 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 Al Dark #2 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Al Dark #2 (Baseball Cards 1955 Bowman) sells for about $1,425 versus $6.34 for a raw near-mint copy — a 225× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Al Dark #2?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,852, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,425. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Al Dark #2 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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