Is Sparky Lyle #694 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1983 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sparky Lyle #694 sells for $59.05 against $1.23 raw: a $57.82 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.17) 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)
- $1.23
- PSA 10
- $59.05
- PSA 9
- $15.17
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $59.05 | +$32.82 | +$7.82 | −$92.18 |
| PSA 9 | $15.17 | −$11.06 | −$36.06 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $3.58 | −$22.65 | −$47.65 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $1.23 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% | $26.14 | −$25.09 |
| 50% | $37.11 | −$14.12 |
| 75% | $48.08 | −$3.15 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 82%. 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 | $77.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.05 | −$17.95 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$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.
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Grading Sparky Lyle #694 — FAQ
Is Sparky Lyle #694 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sparky Lyle #694 sells for $59.05 against $1.23 raw: a $57.82 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.17) 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 Sparky Lyle #694 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sparky Lyle #694 (Baseball Cards 1983 Topps) sells for about $59.05 versus $1.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sparky Lyle #694?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $77.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.05. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sparky Lyle #694 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 Sparky Lyle #694 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sparky Lyle #694 breaks even when it gems about 82% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.17).
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