Is Lou Piniella #648 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lou Piniella #648 sells for $248 against $1.90 raw: a $246 spread, 131× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.54) 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)
- $1.90
- PSA 10
- $248
- PSA 9
- $35.54
- Gem premium
- 131×
- 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 | $248 | +$221 | +$196 | +$96.38 |
| PSA 9 | $35.54 | +$8.64 | −$16.36 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$11.91 | −$36.91 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.90 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% | $88.72 | +$36.82 |
| 50% | $142 | +$90.01 |
| 75% | $195 | +$143 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $323 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $248 | −$74.72 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $149 | −$174 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $149 | −$174 | 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 | $248 | $149 | $323 | $149 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $63.65 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $35.54 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $14.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $12.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Lou Piniella #648 — FAQ
Is Lou Piniella #648 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lou Piniella #648 sells for $248 against $1.90 raw: a $246 spread, 131× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.54) 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 Lou Piniella #648 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lou Piniella #648 (Baseball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $248 versus $1.90 for a raw near-mint copy — a 131× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lou Piniella #648?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $323, ahead of PSA 10 at $248. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lou Piniella #648 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 Lou Piniella #648 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lou Piniella #648 breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.54).
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.
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