Is John Gibbons #116 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Donruss · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 John Gibbons #116 sells for $126 against $1.49 raw: a $125 spread, 85× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($32.50) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $126
- PSA 9
- $32.50
- Gem premium
- 85×
- 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 | $126 | +$99.53 | +$74.53 | −$25.47 |
| PSA 9 | $32.50 | +$6.01 | −$18.99 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $11.44 | −$15.05 | −$40.05 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $55.88 | +$4.39 |
| 50% | $79.26 | +$27.77 |
| 75% | $103 | +$51.15 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $164 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $126 | −$37.98 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $76.00 | −$88.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $76.00 | −$88.00 | 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 John Gibbons #116 — FAQ
Is John Gibbons #116 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Gibbons #116 sells for $126 against $1.49 raw: a $125 spread, 85× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($32.50) 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 John Gibbons #116 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Gibbons #116 (Baseball Cards 1985 Donruss) sells for about $126 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 85× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Gibbons #116?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $164, ahead of PSA 10 at $126. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Gibbons #116 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 John Gibbons #116 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Gibbons #116 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $32.50).
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