Is Preston Ward #27 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1955 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Preston Ward #27 sells for $686 against $2.76 raw: a $683 spread, 248× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($450) 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)
- $2.76
- PSA 10
- $686
- PSA 9
- $450
- Gem premium
- 248×
- 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 | $686 | +$658 | +$633 | +$533 |
| PSA 9 | $450 | +$422 | +$397 | +$297 |
| PSA 8 | $106 | +$78.37 | +$53.37 | −$46.63 |
Net = sale price − $2.76 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% | $509 | +$456 |
| 50% | $568 | +$515 |
| 75% | $627 | +$574 |
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 | $891 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $686 | −$205 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $411 | −$480 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $411 | −$480 | 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 | $686 | $411 | $891 | $411 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $495 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $450 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $106 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $31.72 |
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 Preston Ward #27 — FAQ
Is Preston Ward #27 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Preston Ward #27 sells for $686 against $2.76 raw: a $683 spread, 248× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($450) 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 Preston Ward #27 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Preston Ward #27 (Baseball Cards 1955 Bowman) sells for about $686 versus $2.76 for a raw near-mint copy — a 248× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Preston Ward #27?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $891, ahead of PSA 10 at $686. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Preston Ward #27 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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