Is Tony Cloninger #218 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1971 O Pee Chee · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tony Cloninger #218 sells for $155 against $1.01 raw: a $154 spread, 153× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.96) 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)
- $1.01
- PSA 10
- $155
- PSA 9
- $28.96
- Gem premium
- 153×
- 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 | $155 | +$129 | +$104 | +$3.83 |
| PSA 9 | $28.96 | +$2.95 | −$22.05 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $12.54 | −$13.47 | −$38.47 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.01 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% | $60.43 | +$9.42 |
| 50% | $91.90 | +$40.89 |
| 75% | $123 | +$72.36 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 18%. 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 | $201 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $155 | −$46.16 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $93.00 | −$108 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $93.00 | −$108 | 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 Tony Cloninger #218 — FAQ
Is Tony Cloninger #218 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tony Cloninger #218 sells for $155 against $1.01 raw: a $154 spread, 153× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.96) 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 Tony Cloninger #218 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tony Cloninger #218 (Baseball Cards 1971 O Pee Chee) sells for about $155 versus $1.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 153× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tony Cloninger #218?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $201, ahead of PSA 10 at $155. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tony Cloninger #218 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 Tony Cloninger #218 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tony Cloninger #218 breaks even when it gems about 18% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.96).
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