Is Tom Johnson #9 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Kellogg's · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tom Johnson #9 sells for $53.61 against $1.96 raw: a $51.65 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($37.09) 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)
- $1.96
- PSA 10
- $53.61
- PSA 9
- $37.09
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $53.61 | +$26.65 | +$1.65 | −$98.35 |
| PSA 9 | $37.09 | +$10.13 | −$14.87 | −$115 |
| PSA 8 | $5.49 | −$21.47 | −$46.47 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.96 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% | $41.22 | −$10.74 |
| 50% | $45.35 | −$6.61 |
| 75% | $49.48 | −$2.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 90%. 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 | $70.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $53.61 | −$16.39 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32.00 | −$38.00 | 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 Tom Johnson #9 — FAQ
Is Tom Johnson #9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Johnson #9 sells for $53.61 against $1.96 raw: a $51.65 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($37.09) 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 Tom Johnson #9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Johnson #9 (Baseball Cards 1978 Kellogg's) sells for about $53.61 versus $1.96 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Johnson #9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $70.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $53.61. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Johnson #9 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 Tom Johnson #9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Johnson #9 breaks even when it gems about 90% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $37.09).
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