Is Steve Garvey #290 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Steve Garvey #290 sells for $428 against $1.94 raw: a $426 spread, 221× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.09) 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)
- $1.94
- PSA 10
- $428
- PSA 9
- $35.09
- Gem premium
- 221×
- 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 | $428 | +$401 | +$376 | +$276 |
| PSA 9 | $35.09 | +$8.15 | −$16.85 | −$117 |
| PSA 8 | $17.92 | −$9.02 | −$34.02 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.94 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% | $133 | +$81.37 |
| 50% | $232 | +$180 |
| 75% | $330 | +$278 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $556 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $428 | −$128 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $257 | −$299 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $257 | −$299 | 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 Steve Garvey #290 — FAQ
Is Steve Garvey #290 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Garvey #290 sells for $428 against $1.94 raw: a $426 spread, 221× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.09) 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 Steve Garvey #290 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Garvey #290 (Baseball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $428 versus $1.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 221× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Garvey #290?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $556, ahead of PSA 10 at $428. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Garvey #290 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 Steve Garvey #290 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Garvey #290 breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.09).
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