Is Bruce Sutter #590 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Bruce Sutter #590 sells for $261 against $1.49 raw: a $259 spread, 175× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($32.13) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $261
- PSA 9
- $32.13
- Gem premium
- 175×
- 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 | $261 | +$234 | +$209 | +$109 |
| PSA 9 | $32.13 | +$5.64 | −$19.36 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$11.50 | −$36.50 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $89.32 | +$37.83 |
| 50% | $147 | +$95.02 |
| 75% | $204 | +$152 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $339 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $261 | −$78.11 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $157 | −$182 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $157 | −$182 | 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 | $261 | $157 | $339 | $157 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $48.83 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $32.13 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $14.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $14.83 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Bruce Sutter #590 — FAQ
Is Bruce Sutter #590 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bruce Sutter #590 sells for $261 against $1.49 raw: a $259 spread, 175× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($32.13) 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 Bruce Sutter #590 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bruce Sutter #590 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $261 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 175× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bruce Sutter #590?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $339, ahead of PSA 10 at $261. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bruce Sutter #590 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 Bruce Sutter #590 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bruce Sutter #590 breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $32.13).
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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