Is Tommy John #240 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tommy John #240 sells for $99.23 against $1.19 raw: a $98.04 spread, 83× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.00) 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)
- $1.19
- PSA 10
- $99.23
- PSA 9
- $34.00
- Gem premium
- 83×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $99.23 | +$73.04 | +$48.04 | −$51.96 |
| PSA 9 | $34.00 | +$7.81 | −$17.19 | −$117 |
| PSA 8 | $30.88 | +$4.69 | −$20.31 | −$120 |
Net = sale price − $1.19 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% | $50.31 | −$0.88 |
| 50% | $66.62 | +$15.43 |
| 75% | $82.92 | +$31.73 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. 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 | $129 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.23 | −$29.77 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$69.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$69.00 | 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 Tommy John #240 — FAQ
Is Tommy John #240 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tommy John #240 sells for $99.23 against $1.19 raw: a $98.04 spread, 83× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.00) 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 Tommy John #240 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tommy John #240 (Baseball Cards 1986 Topps) sells for about $99.23 versus $1.19 for a raw near-mint copy — a 83× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tommy John #240?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $129, ahead of PSA 10 at $99.23. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tommy John #240 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 Tommy John #240 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tommy John #240 breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $34.00).
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