Is John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Hostess · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 sells for $90.99 against $1.99 raw: a $89.00 spread, 46× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.37) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $90.99
- PSA 9
- $42.37
- Gem premium
- 46×
- 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 | $90.99 | +$64.00 | +$39.00 | −$61.00 |
| PSA 9 | $42.37 | +$15.38 | −$9.62 | −$110 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $54.52 | +$2.53 |
| 50% | $66.68 | +$14.69 |
| 75% | $78.83 | +$26.84 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $118 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $90.99 | −$27.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $55.00 | −$63.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $55.00 | −$63.00 | 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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Other 1979 Hostess cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Steve Garvey [Hand Cut] #8 1979 Hostess card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VLMAAeSw8UdpxcJT/s-l500.jpg)
![Nolan Ryan [Hand Cut] #101 1979 Hostess card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/iccAAeSwEytqo3GJ/s-l500.jpg)
Grading John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 — FAQ
Is John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 sells for $90.99 against $1.99 raw: a $89.00 spread, 46× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.37) 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 John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 (Baseball Cards 1979 Hostess) sells for about $90.99 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 46× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $118, ahead of PSA 10 at $90.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 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 John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Henry Johnson [Hand Cut] #39 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.37).
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