Is Rich Gossage #225 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Rich Gossage #225 sells for $290 against $1.96 raw: a $288 spread, 148× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.99) 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
- $290
- PSA 9
- $44.99
- Gem premium
- 148×
- 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 | $290 | +$263 | +$238 | +$138 |
| PSA 9 | $44.99 | +$18.03 | −$6.97 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $27.63 | +$0.67 | −$24.33 | −$124 |
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% | $106 | +$54.23 |
| 50% | $167 | +$115 |
| 75% | $229 | +$177 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $377 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $290 | −$87.22 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $174 | −$203 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $174 | −$203 | 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 Rich Gossage #225 — FAQ
Is Rich Gossage #225 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rich Gossage #225 sells for $290 against $1.96 raw: a $288 spread, 148× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($44.99) 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 Rich Gossage #225 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rich Gossage #225 (Baseball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $290 versus $1.96 for a raw near-mint copy — a 148× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rich Gossage #225?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $377, ahead of PSA 10 at $290. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rich Gossage #225 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 Rich Gossage #225 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rich Gossage #225 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.99).
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