Is Hal Lanier #588 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 80× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Hal Lanier #588 sells for $151 against $1.88 raw: a $149 spread, 80× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.85) 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)
- $1.88
- PSA 10
- $151
- PSA 9
- $19.85
- Gem premium
- 80×
- 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 | $151 | +$124 | +$99.08 | −$0.92 |
| PSA 9 | $19.85 | −$7.03 | −$32.03 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $17.80 | −$9.08 | −$34.08 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.88 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% | $52.63 | +$0.75 |
| 50% | $85.41 | +$33.53 |
| 75% | $118 | +$66.30 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $196 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $151 | −$45.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $91.00 | −$105 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $91.00 | −$105 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1974 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![All Star Left Fielders [B. Murcer, P. Rose] #336 1974 Topps card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8vIAAeSwfgZqMYD1/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Hal Lanier #588 — FAQ
Is Hal Lanier #588 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Hal Lanier #588 sells for $151 against $1.88 raw: a $149 spread, 80× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.85) 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 Hal Lanier #588 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Hal Lanier #588 (Baseball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $151 versus $1.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 80× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Hal Lanier #588?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $196, ahead of PSA 10 at $151. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Hal Lanier #588 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 Hal Lanier #588 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Hal Lanier #588 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.85).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
