Is Don Drysdale #53 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1962 Bell Brand Dodgers · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Drysdale #53 sells for $3,530 against $20.00 raw: a $3,510 spread, 176× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,870) 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)
- $20.00
- PSA 10
- $3,530
- PSA 9
- $1,870
- Gem premium
- 176×
- 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 | $3,530 | +$3,485 | +$3,460 | +$3,360 |
| PSA 9 | $1,870 | +$1,825 | +$1,800 | +$1,700 |
| PSA 8 | $1,700 | +$1,655 | +$1,630 | +$1,530 |
Net = sale price − $20.00 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?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $2,285 | +$2,215 |
| 50% | $2,700 | +$2,630 |
| 75% | $3,115 | +$3,045 |
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 | $4,589 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $3,530 | −$1,059 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $2,118 | −$2,471 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $2,118 | −$2,471 | 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 Don Drysdale #53 — FAQ
Is Don Drysdale #53 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Drysdale #53 sells for $3,530 against $20.00 raw: a $3,510 spread, 176× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,870) 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 #53 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Drysdale #53 (Baseball Cards 1962 Bell Brand Dodgers) sells for about $3,530 versus $20.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 176× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Drysdale #53?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $4,589, ahead of PSA 10 at $3,530. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Drysdale #53 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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