Is Phil Niekro #355 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1969 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Phil Niekro #355 sells for $348 against $5.00 raw: a $343 spread, 70× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($223) 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)
- $5.00
- PSA 10
- $348
- PSA 9
- $223
- Gem premium
- 70×
- 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 | $348 | +$318 | +$293 | +$193 |
| PSA 9 | $223 | +$193 | +$168 | +$67.87 |
| PSA 8 | $62.96 | +$32.96 | +$7.96 | −$92.04 |
Net = sale price − $5.00 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% | $254 | +$199 |
| 50% | $285 | +$230 |
| 75% | $317 | +$262 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $6,000 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $6,000 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $452 | −$5,548 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $348 | −$5,652 | 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 Phil Niekro #355 — FAQ
Is Phil Niekro #355 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Phil Niekro #355 sells for $348 against $5.00 raw: a $343 spread, 70× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($223) 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 Phil Niekro #355 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Phil Niekro #355 (Baseball Cards 1969 Topps) sells for about $348 versus $5.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 70× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Phil Niekro #355?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $6,000, ahead of SGC 10 at $6,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Phil Niekro #355 need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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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