Is Steve Trout #552 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Trout #552 sells for $53.55 against $1.50 raw: a $52.05 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.69) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $53.55
- PSA 9
- $12.69
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $53.55 | +$27.05 | +$2.05 | −$97.95 |
| PSA 9 | $12.69 | −$13.81 | −$38.81 | −$139 |
| 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% | $22.91 | −$28.59 |
| 50% | $33.12 | −$18.38 |
| 75% | $43.33 | −$8.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 95%. 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 | $70.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $53.55 | −$16.45 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32.00 | −$38.00 | 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 Steve Trout #552 — FAQ
Is Steve Trout #552 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Trout #552 sells for $53.55 against $1.50 raw: a $52.05 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.69) 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 Steve Trout #552 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Trout #552 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $53.55 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Trout #552?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $70.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $53.55. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Trout #552 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 Steve Trout #552 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Trout #552 breaks even when it gems about 95% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.69).
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