Is Lamar Johnson #38 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 63× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lamar Johnson #38 sells for $63.27 against $1.00 raw: a $62.27 spread, 63× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($6.00) 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)
- $1.00
- PSA 10
- $63.27
- PSA 9
- $6.00
- Gem premium
- 63×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $63.27 | +$37.27 | +$12.27 | −$87.73 |
| PSA 9 | $6.00 | −$20.00 | −$45.00 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.00 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% | $20.32 | −$30.68 |
| 50% | $34.64 | −$16.36 |
| 75% | $48.95 | −$2.05 |
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 | $82.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $63.27 | −$18.73 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $38.00 | −$44.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $38.00 | −$44.00 | 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.
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Grading Lamar Johnson #38 — FAQ
Is Lamar Johnson #38 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lamar Johnson #38 sells for $63.27 against $1.00 raw: a $62.27 spread, 63× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($6.00) 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 Lamar Johnson #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lamar Johnson #38 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $63.27 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 63× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lamar Johnson #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $82.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $63.27. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lamar Johnson #38 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 Lamar Johnson #38 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lamar Johnson #38 breaks even when it gems about 79% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $6.00).
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