Is Joe Niekro #504 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 142× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Niekro #504 sells for $294 against $2.07 raw: a $292 spread, 142× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.94) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.07
- PSA 10
- $294
- PSA 9
- $21.94
- Gem premium
- 142×
- 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 | $294 | +$267 | +$242 | +$142 |
| PSA 9 | $21.94 | −$5.13 | −$30.13 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $12.50 | −$14.57 | −$39.57 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $2.07 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% | $89.96 | +$37.89 |
| 50% | $158 | +$106 |
| 75% | $226 | +$174 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 11%. 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 | $382 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $294 | −$87.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $176 | −$206 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $176 | −$206 | 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 Joe Niekro #504 — FAQ
Is Joe Niekro #504 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Niekro #504 sells for $294 against $2.07 raw: a $292 spread, 142× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.94) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Niekro #504 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Niekro #504 (Baseball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $294 versus $2.07 for a raw near-mint copy — a 142× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Niekro #504?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $382, ahead of PSA 10 at $294. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Niekro #504 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 Joe Niekro #504 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Niekro #504 breaks even when it gems about 11% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.94).
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