Is Ernie Lombardi #33 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Donruss Highlights · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 60× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ernie Lombardi #33 sells for $100 against $1.68 raw: a $98.32 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.02) 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)
- $1.68
- PSA 10
- $100
- PSA 9
- $19.02
- Gem premium
- 60×
- 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 | $100 | +$73.32 | +$48.32 | −$51.68 |
| PSA 9 | $19.02 | −$7.66 | −$32.66 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $10.50 | −$16.18 | −$41.18 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.68 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% | $39.27 | −$12.41 |
| 50% | $59.51 | +$7.83 |
| 75% | $79.75 | +$28.07 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $100 | −$30.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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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Other 1986 Donruss Highlights cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Ernie Lombardi #33 — FAQ
Is Ernie Lombardi #33 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ernie Lombardi #33 sells for $100 against $1.68 raw: a $98.32 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.02) 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 Ernie Lombardi #33 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ernie Lombardi #33 (Baseball Cards 1986 Donruss Highlights) sells for about $100 versus $1.68 for a raw near-mint copy — a 60× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ernie Lombardi #33?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $100. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ernie Lombardi #33 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 Ernie Lombardi #33 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ernie Lombardi #33 breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.02).
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