Is Steve Carlton #33 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Carlton #33 sells for $61.00 against $1.61 raw: a $59.39 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.02) 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)
- $1.61
- PSA 10
- $61.00
- PSA 9
- $17.02
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $61.00 | +$34.39 | +$9.39 | −$90.61 |
| PSA 9 | $17.02 | −$9.59 | −$34.59 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $9.79 | −$16.82 | −$41.82 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.61 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% | $28.02 | −$23.59 |
| 50% | $39.01 | −$12.60 |
| 75% | $50.01 | −$1.60 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 79%. 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 | $79.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $44.25 | −$34.75 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 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 | $61.00 | $37.00 | $79.00 | $44.25 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $53.14 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.02 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.79 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $8.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Steve Carlton #33 — FAQ
Is Steve Carlton #33 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Carlton #33 sells for $61.00 against $1.61 raw: a $59.39 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.02) 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 Steve Carlton #33 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Carlton #33 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $61.00 versus $1.61 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Carlton #33?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $79.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Carlton #33 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 Carlton #33 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Carlton #33 breaks even when it gems about 79% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.02).
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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