Is Tom Seaver #425 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 111× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver #425 sells for $191 against $1.72 raw: a $190 spread, 111× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.74) 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)
- $1.72
- PSA 10
- $191
- PSA 9
- $23.74
- Gem premium
- 111×
- 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 | $191 | +$165 | +$140 | +$39.60 |
| PSA 9 | $23.74 | −$2.98 | −$27.98 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $8.42 | −$18.30 | −$43.30 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.72 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% | $65.63 | +$13.91 |
| 50% | $108 | +$55.81 |
| 75% | $149 | +$97.71 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $249 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $191 | −$57.68 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $115 | −$134 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $115 | −$134 | 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 | $191 | $115 | $249 | $115 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $26.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.74 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.42 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $7.00 |
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
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Grading Tom Seaver #425 — FAQ
Is Tom Seaver #425 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver #425 sells for $191 against $1.72 raw: a $190 spread, 111× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.74) 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 Tom Seaver #425 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver #425 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $191 versus $1.72 for a raw near-mint copy — a 111× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Seaver #425?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $249, ahead of PSA 10 at $191. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Seaver #425 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 Tom Seaver #425 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Seaver #425 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.74).
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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