Is Cal Ripken Jr. #20 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Donruss Action All Stars · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #20 sells for $149 against $1.83 raw: a $147 spread, 81× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.76) 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)
- $1.83
- PSA 10
- $149
- PSA 9
- $47.76
- Gem premium
- 81×
- 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 | $149 | +$122 | +$96.70 | −$3.30 |
| PSA 9 | $47.76 | +$20.93 | −$4.07 | −$104 |
| PSA 8 | $25.94 | −$0.89 | −$25.89 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $1.83 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% | $72.95 | +$21.12 |
| 50% | $98.14 | +$46.31 |
| 75% | $123 | +$71.51 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $193 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $149 | −$44.47 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $89.00 | −$104 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $89.00 | −$104 | 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 | $149 | $89.00 | $193 | $89.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $51.86 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $47.76 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $25.94 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1984 Donruss Action All Stars cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Cal Ripken Jr. #20 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. #20 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #20 sells for $149 against $1.83 raw: a $147 spread, 81× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.76) 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. #20 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #20 (Baseball Cards 1984 Donruss Action All Stars) sells for about $149 versus $1.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 81× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. #20?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $193, ahead of PSA 10 at $149. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. #20 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. #20 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cal Ripken Jr. #20 breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $47.76).
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.
Check my card free