Is St. Louis Cardinals #219 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1973 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 St. Louis Cardinals #219 sells for $620 against $1.85 raw: a $618 spread, 335× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($46.97) 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)
- $1.85
- PSA 10
- $620
- PSA 9
- $46.97
- Gem premium
- 335×
- As of
- Oct 13, 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 | $620 | +$593 | +$568 | +$468 |
| PSA 9 | $46.97 | +$20.12 | −$4.88 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $19.68 | −$7.17 | −$32.17 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.85 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% | $190 | +$138 |
| 50% | $333 | +$282 |
| 75% | $477 | +$425 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $806 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $620 | −$186 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $372 | −$434 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $372 | −$434 | 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 St. Louis Cardinals #219 — FAQ
Is St. Louis Cardinals #219 worth grading?
A PSA 10 St. Louis Cardinals #219 sells for $620 against $1.85 raw: a $618 spread, 335× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($46.97) 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 St. Louis Cardinals #219 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 St. Louis Cardinals #219 (Baseball Cards 1973 Topps) sells for about $620 versus $1.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 335× premium as of Oct 13, 2026.
Which grading company is best for St. Louis Cardinals #219?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $806, ahead of PSA 10 at $620. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does St. Louis Cardinals #219 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 St. Louis Cardinals #219 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting St. Louis Cardinals #219 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $46.97).
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