Is Tom Seaver #740 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver #740 sells for $135 against $1.57 raw: a $134 spread, 86× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.38) 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)
- $1.57
- PSA 10
- $135
- PSA 9
- $35.38
- Gem premium
- 86×
- 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 | $135 | +$109 | +$83.63 | −$16.37 |
| PSA 9 | $35.38 | +$8.81 | −$16.19 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $18.54 | −$8.03 | −$33.03 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $1.57 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% | $60.34 | +$8.77 |
| 50% | $85.29 | +$33.72 |
| 75% | $110 | +$58.67 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $176 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $135 | −$40.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $81.00 | −$95.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $81.00 | −$95.00 | 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 Tom Seaver #740 — FAQ
Is Tom Seaver #740 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver #740 sells for $135 against $1.57 raw: a $134 spread, 86× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.38) 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 Tom Seaver #740 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver #740 (Baseball Cards 1984 Topps) sells for about $135 versus $1.57 for a raw near-mint copy — a 86× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Seaver #740?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $176, ahead of PSA 10 at $135. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Seaver #740 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 Tom Seaver #740 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Seaver #740 breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.38).
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