Is Brooks Robinson #4 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Brooks Robinson #4 sells for $588 against $1.91 raw: a $586 spread, 308× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.48) 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)
- $1.91
- PSA 10
- $588
- PSA 9
- $50.48
- Gem premium
- 308×
- 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 | $588 | +$561 | +$536 | +$436 |
| PSA 9 | $50.48 | +$23.57 | −$1.43 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $28.84 | +$1.93 | −$23.07 | −$123 |
Net = sale price − $1.91 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% | $185 | +$133 |
| 50% | $319 | +$267 |
| 75% | $454 | +$402 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $764 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $588 | −$176 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $353 | −$411 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $353 | −$411 | 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 Brooks Robinson #4 — FAQ
Is Brooks Robinson #4 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Brooks Robinson #4 sells for $588 against $1.91 raw: a $586 spread, 308× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.48) 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 Brooks Robinson #4 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Brooks Robinson #4 (Baseball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $588 versus $1.91 for a raw near-mint copy — a 308× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Brooks Robinson #4?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $764, ahead of PSA 10 at $588. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Brooks Robinson #4 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 Brooks Robinson #4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Brooks Robinson #4 breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $50.48).
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