Is Rod Carew #386 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1983 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 43× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Rod Carew #386 sells for $59.99 against $1.40 raw: a $58.59 spread, 43× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.59) 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)
- $1.40
- PSA 10
- $59.99
- PSA 9
- $17.59
- Gem premium
- 43×
- 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 | $59.99 | +$33.59 | +$8.59 | −$91.41 |
| PSA 9 | $17.59 | −$8.81 | −$33.81 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $10.28 | −$16.12 | −$41.12 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.40 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% | $28.19 | −$23.21 |
| 50% | $38.79 | −$12.61 |
| 75% | $49.39 | −$2.01 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 80%. 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 | $78.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.99 | −$18.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1983 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Rod Carew #386 — FAQ
Is Rod Carew #386 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rod Carew #386 sells for $59.99 against $1.40 raw: a $58.59 spread, 43× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.59) 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 Rod Carew #386 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rod Carew #386 (Baseball Cards 1983 Topps) sells for about $59.99 versus $1.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 43× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rod Carew #386?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $78.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rod Carew #386 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 Rod Carew #386 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rod Carew #386 breaks even when it gems about 80% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.59).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
