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Andy Van Slyke #551 (Baseball Cards 1985 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Andy Van Slyke #551 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Topps · full price guide →

Strong grading candidate — 101× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Andy Van Slyke #551 sells for $150 against $1.49 raw: a $149 spread, 101× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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)
$1.49
PSA 10
$150
PSA 9
$19.99
Gem premium
101×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Andy Van Slyke #551: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$150+$124+$98.50−$1.50
PSA 9$19.99−$6.50−$31.50−$132
PSA 8$14.99−$11.50−$36.50−$137

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?

Andy Van Slyke #551: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$52.49+$1.00
50%$84.99+$33.50
75%$117+$66.00

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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
Andy Van Slyke #551: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$195best55/4570/30
PSA 10$150−$45.0155/4575/25
CGC 10$90.00−$10555/4575/25
SGC 10$90.00−$10555/4575/25

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.

Andy Van Slyke #551 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$150$90.00$195$90.00
9.5$44.47
9$19.99
8$14.99
7$3.63

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1985 Topps cards worth checking

Full set checklist

Grading Andy Van Slyke #551 — FAQ

Is Andy Van Slyke #551 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Andy Van Slyke #551 sells for $150 against $1.49 raw: a $149 spread, 101× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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 Andy Van Slyke #551 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Andy Van Slyke #551 (Baseball Cards 1985 Topps) sells for about $150 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 101× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Andy Van Slyke #551?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $195, ahead of PSA 10 at $150. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Andy Van Slyke #551 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 Andy Van Slyke #551 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Andy Van Slyke #551 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.99).

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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