Is Cal Ripken Jr. #704 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1985 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #704 sells for $63.18 against $1.33 raw: a $61.85 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.10) 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)
- $1.33
- PSA 10
- $63.18
- PSA 9
- $12.10
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $63.18 | +$36.85 | +$11.85 | −$88.15 |
| PSA 9 | $12.10 | −$14.23 | −$39.23 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $8.75 | −$17.58 | −$42.58 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.33 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% | $24.87 | −$26.46 |
| 50% | $37.64 | −$13.69 |
| 75% | $50.41 | −$0.92 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 77%. 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 | $82.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $63.18 | −$18.82 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $38.00 | −$44.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $38.00 | −$44.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $63.18 | $38.00 | $82.00 | $38.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $19.97 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.10 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.75 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.60 |
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 Cal Ripken Jr. #704 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. #704 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #704 sells for $63.18 against $1.33 raw: a $61.85 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.10) 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 Cal Ripken Jr. #704 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #704 (Baseball Cards 1985 Topps) sells for about $63.18 versus $1.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. #704?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $82.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $63.18. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. #704 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. #704 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cal Ripken Jr. #704 breaks even when it gems about 77% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.10).
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