Is Gary Carter #90 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 35× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gary Carter #90 sells for $55.98 against $1.58 raw: a $54.40 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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)
- $1.58
- PSA 10
- $55.98
- PSA 9
- $24.99
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $55.98 | +$29.40 | +$4.40 | −$95.60 |
| PSA 9 | $24.99 | −$1.59 | −$26.59 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $10.49 | −$16.09 | −$41.09 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.58 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% | $32.74 | −$18.84 |
| 50% | $40.48 | −$11.09 |
| 75% | $48.23 | −$3.35 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 86%. 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 | $73.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $55.98 | −$17.02 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.00 | −$39.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.00 | −$39.00 | 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 | $55.98 | $34.00 | $73.00 | $34.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $29.63 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $24.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.49 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.05 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1981 Donruss cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Best Hitters [G. Brett, R. Carew] #537 1981 Donruss card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/n~wAAeSwgUdqZBNH/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Gary Carter #90 — FAQ
Is Gary Carter #90 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gary Carter #90 sells for $55.98 against $1.58 raw: a $54.40 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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 Gary Carter #90 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Carter #90 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $55.98 versus $1.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Carter #90?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $73.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $55.98. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Carter #90 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 Gary Carter #90 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Carter #90 breaks even when it gems about 86% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.99).
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.
Check my card free