Is Ron Santo #35 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1961 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ron Santo #35 sells for $8,860 against $30.95 raw: a $8,829 spread, 286× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,329) 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)
- $30.95
- PSA 10
- $8,860
- PSA 9
- $1,329
- Gem premium
- 286×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $8,860 | +$8,804 | +$8,779 | +$8,679 |
| PSA 9 | $1,329 | +$1,273 | +$1,248 | +$1,148 |
| PSA 8 | $389 | +$333 | +$308 | +$208 |
Net = sale price − $30.95 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% | $3,211 | +$3,130 |
| 50% | $5,094 | +$5,013 |
| 75% | $6,977 | +$6,896 |
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 | $11,518 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $8,860 | −$2,658 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $5,316 | −$6,202 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $5,316 | −$6,202 | 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 Ron Santo #35 — FAQ
Is Ron Santo #35 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ron Santo #35 sells for $8,860 against $30.95 raw: a $8,829 spread, 286× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,329) 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 Ron Santo #35 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ron Santo #35 (Baseball Cards 1961 Topps) sells for about $8,860 versus $30.95 for a raw near-mint copy — a 286× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ron Santo #35?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $11,518, ahead of PSA 10 at $8,860. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ron Santo #35 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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