Is Larry Bowa #142 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Larry Bowa #142 sells for $64.77 against $1.50 raw: a $63.27 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($27.92) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $64.77
- PSA 9
- $27.92
- Gem premium
- 43×
- 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 | $64.77 | +$38.27 | +$13.27 | −$86.73 |
| PSA 9 | $27.92 | +$1.42 | −$23.58 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $12.44 | −$14.06 | −$39.06 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $37.13 | −$14.37 |
| 50% | $46.34 | −$5.16 |
| 75% | $55.56 | +$4.06 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 64%. 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 | $84.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $64.77 | −$19.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $39.00 | −$45.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $39.00 | −$45.00 | 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 Larry Bowa #142 — FAQ
Is Larry Bowa #142 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bowa #142 sells for $64.77 against $1.50 raw: a $63.27 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($27.92) 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 Larry Bowa #142 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bowa #142 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $64.77 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 43× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bowa #142?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $84.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $64.77. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bowa #142 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 Larry Bowa #142 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Larry Bowa #142 breaks even when it gems about 64% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.92).
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