Is Don Drysdale #18 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1957 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Drysdale #18 sells for $30,744 against $89.99 raw: a $30,654 spread, 342× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($25,620) 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)
- $89.99
- PSA 10
- $30,744
- PSA 9
- $25,620
- Gem premium
- 342×
- 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 | $30,744 | +$30,629 | +$30,604 | +$30,504 |
| PSA 9 | $25,620 | +$25,505 | +$25,480 | +$25,380 |
| PSA 8 | $3,349 | +$3,234 | +$3,209 | +$3,109 |
Net = sale price − $89.99 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% | $26,901 | +$26,761 |
| 50% | $28,182 | +$28,042 |
| 75% | $29,463 | +$29,323 |
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 | $39,967 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $30,744 | −$9,223 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $18,446 | −$21,521 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $18,446 | −$21,521 | 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 | $30,744 | $18,446 | $39,967 | $18,446 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $28,182 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $25,620 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $3,349 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $685 |
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 Don Drysdale #18 — FAQ
Is Don Drysdale #18 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Drysdale #18 sells for $30,744 against $89.99 raw: a $30,654 spread, 342× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($25,620) 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 Don Drysdale #18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Drysdale #18 (Baseball Cards 1957 Topps) sells for about $30,744 versus $89.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 342× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Drysdale #18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $39,967, ahead of PSA 10 at $30,744. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Drysdale #18 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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