Is Joe DiMaggio #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 TCMA Baseball History Series · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe DiMaggio #1 sells for $89.89 against $2.98 raw: a $86.91 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.60) 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)
- $2.98
- PSA 10
- $89.89
- PSA 9
- $23.60
- Gem premium
- 30×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $89.89 | +$61.91 | +$36.91 | −$63.09 |
| PSA 9 | $23.60 | −$4.38 | −$29.38 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $17.13 | −$10.85 | −$35.85 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $2.98 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% | $40.17 | −$12.81 |
| 50% | $56.75 | +$3.77 |
| 75% | $73.32 | +$20.34 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 | $117 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $89.89 | −$27.11 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$63.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $89.89 | $54.00 | $117 | $54.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $26.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.60 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $17.13 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1979 TCMA Baseball History Series cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Joe DiMaggio #1 — FAQ
Is Joe DiMaggio #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe DiMaggio #1 sells for $89.89 against $2.98 raw: a $86.91 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.60) 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 DiMaggio #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe DiMaggio #1 (Baseball Cards 1979 TCMA Baseball History Series) sells for about $89.89 versus $2.98 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe DiMaggio #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $117, ahead of PSA 10 at $89.89. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe DiMaggio #1 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 DiMaggio #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe DiMaggio #1 breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.60).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
Check my card free