![San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 (Baseball Cards 1982 Donruss) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/G~IAAeSw0sdqU9hV/s-l1600.jpg)
Is San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1982 Donruss · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 sells for $256 against $3.13 raw: a $253 spread, 82× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.62) 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)
- $3.13
- PSA 10
- $256
- PSA 9
- $31.62
- Gem premium
- 82×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $256 | +$228 | +$203 | +$103 |
| PSA 9 | $31.62 | +$3.49 | −$21.51 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $14.00 | −$14.13 | −$39.13 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $3.13 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% | $87.82 | +$34.69 |
| 50% | $144 | +$90.90 |
| 75% | $200 | +$147 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 10%. 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 | $333 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $256 | −$76.57 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $154 | −$179 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $154 | −$179 | 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 San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 — FAQ
Is San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 worth grading?
A PSA 10 San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 sells for $256 against $3.13 raw: a $253 spread, 82× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.62) 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 San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 (Baseball Cards 1982 Donruss) sells for about $256 versus $3.13 for a raw near-mint copy — a 82× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for San Diego Chicken [TM] #531?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $333, ahead of PSA 10 at $256. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 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 San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting San Diego Chicken [TM] #531 breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.62).
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