Is Cal Ripken Jr. #279 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1983 Donruss · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #279 sells for $278 against $3.43 raw: a $274 spread, 81× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.59) 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)
- $3.43
- PSA 10
- $278
- PSA 9
- $28.59
- Gem premium
- 81×
- 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 | $278 | +$249 | +$224 | +$124 |
| PSA 9 | $28.59 | +$0.16 | −$24.84 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $15.28 | −$13.15 | −$38.15 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $3.43 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% | $90.89 | +$37.46 |
| 50% | $153 | +$99.76 |
| 75% | $215 | +$162 |
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 | $361 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $278 | −$83.21 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $225 | −$136 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $167 | −$194 | 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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Other 1983 Donruss cards worth checking
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Grading Cal Ripken Jr. #279 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. #279 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #279 sells for $278 against $3.43 raw: a $274 spread, 81× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.59) 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 Cal Ripken Jr. #279 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #279 (Baseball Cards 1983 Donruss) sells for about $278 versus $3.43 for a raw near-mint copy — a 81× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. #279?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $361, ahead of PSA 10 at $278. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. #279 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 Cal Ripken Jr. #279 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cal Ripken Jr. #279 breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.59).
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