
Is Pete Rose #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Fleer · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Pete Rose #1 sells for $147 against $1.86 raw: a $146 spread, 79× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.06) 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)
- $1.86
- PSA 10
- $147
- PSA 9
- $28.06
- Gem premium
- 79×
- 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 | $147 | +$121 | +$95.59 | −$4.41 |
| PSA 9 | $28.06 | +$1.20 | −$23.80 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $16.50 | −$10.36 | −$35.36 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $1.86 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% | $57.91 | +$6.05 |
| 50% | $87.75 | +$35.89 |
| 75% | $118 | +$65.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $192 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $147 | −$44.55 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $105 | −$86.53 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $88.00 | −$104 | 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 | $147 | $88.00 | $192 | $105 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $31.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $28.06 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $16.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $10.98 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1981 Fleer cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Pete Rose #1 — FAQ
Is Pete Rose #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pete Rose #1 sells for $147 against $1.86 raw: a $146 spread, 79× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.06) 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 Pete Rose #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pete Rose #1 (Baseball Cards 1981 Fleer) sells for about $147 versus $1.86 for a raw near-mint copy — a 79× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pete Rose #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $192, ahead of PSA 10 at $147. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pete Rose #1 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 Pete Rose #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pete Rose #1 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.06).
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
![Reggie Jackson [Batting] #79 1981 Fleer card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/fLsAAeSwvCNqS-U8/s-l500.jpg)