Is Cal Ripken Jr. #490 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Topps Tiffany · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #490 sells for $1,850 against $33.08 raw: a $1,817 spread, 56× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($187) 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)
- $33.08
- PSA 10
- $1,850
- PSA 9
- $187
- Gem premium
- 56×
- 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 | $1,850 | +$1,792 | +$1,767 | +$1,667 |
| PSA 9 | $187 | +$129 | +$104 | +$3.77 |
| PSA 8 | $63.78 | +$5.70 | −$19.30 | −$119 |
Net = sale price − $33.08 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% | $603 | +$520 |
| 50% | $1,018 | +$935 |
| 75% | $1,434 | +$1,351 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $2,405 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,850 | −$555 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,110 | −$1,295 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,110 | −$1,295 | 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 | $1,850 | $1,110 | $2,405 | $1,110 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $464 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $187 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $63.78 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $39.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Cal Ripken Jr. #490 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. #490 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #490 sells for $1,850 against $33.08 raw: a $1,817 spread, 56× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($187) 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. #490 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #490 (Baseball Cards 1984 Topps Tiffany) sells for about $1,850 versus $33.08 for a raw near-mint copy — a 56× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. #490?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,405, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,850. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. #490 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.
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.
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