Is Ozzie Smith #254 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ozzie Smith #254 sells for $390 against $1.82 raw: a $388 spread, 214× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.89) 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)
- $1.82
- PSA 10
- $390
- PSA 9
- $29.89
- Gem premium
- 214×
- 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 | $390 | +$363 | +$338 | +$238 |
| PSA 9 | $29.89 | +$3.07 | −$21.93 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $15.90 | −$10.92 | −$35.92 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.82 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% | $120 | +$68.10 |
| 50% | $210 | +$158 |
| 75% | $300 | +$248 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $507 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $390 | −$117 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $234 | −$273 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $225 | −$282 | 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 | $390 | $234 | $507 | $225 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $65.01 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.89 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.90 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.99 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Ozzie Smith #254 — FAQ
Is Ozzie Smith #254 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ozzie Smith #254 sells for $390 against $1.82 raw: a $388 spread, 214× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.89) 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 Ozzie Smith #254 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ozzie Smith #254 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $390 versus $1.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 214× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ozzie Smith #254?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $507, ahead of PSA 10 at $390. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ozzie Smith #254 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 Ozzie Smith #254 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ozzie Smith #254 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.89).
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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