Is Jim King #42 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1962 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Jim King #42 sells for $250 against $1.37 raw: a $249 spread, 183× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.16) 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)
- $1.37
- PSA 10
- $250
- PSA 9
- $43.16
- Gem premium
- 183×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $250 | +$224 | +$199 | +$99.03 |
| PSA 9 | $43.16 | +$16.79 | −$8.21 | −$108 |
| PSA 8 | $24.50 | −$1.87 | −$26.87 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $1.37 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% | $94.97 | +$43.60 |
| 50% | $147 | +$95.41 |
| 75% | $199 | +$147 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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 | $326 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $250 | −$75.60 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $150 | −$176 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $150 | −$176 | 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 Jim King #42 — FAQ
Is Jim King #42 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Jim King #42 sells for $250 against $1.37 raw: a $249 spread, 183× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.16) 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 Jim King #42 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Jim King #42 (Baseball Cards 1962 Topps) sells for about $250 versus $1.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 183× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Jim King #42?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $326, ahead of PSA 10 at $250. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Jim King #42 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.
What gem rate makes grading Jim King #42 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Jim King #42 breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $43.16).
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