Is Rod Carew #400 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Rod Carew #400 sells for $400 against $0.91 raw: a $399 spread, 440× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.52) 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)
- $0.91
- PSA 10
- $400
- PSA 9
- $28.52
- Gem premium
- 440×
- 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 | $400 | +$374 | +$349 | +$249 |
| PSA 9 | $28.52 | +$2.61 | −$22.39 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$10.92 | −$35.92 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $0.91 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% | $121 | +$70.48 |
| 50% | $214 | +$163 |
| 75% | $307 | +$256 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $520 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $400 | −$120 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $240 | −$280 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $240 | −$280 | 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 Rod Carew #400 — FAQ
Is Rod Carew #400 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rod Carew #400 sells for $400 against $0.91 raw: a $399 spread, 440× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($28.52) 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 Rod Carew #400 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rod Carew #400 (Baseball Cards 1986 Topps) sells for about $400 versus $0.91 for a raw near-mint copy — a 440× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rod Carew #400?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $520, ahead of PSA 10 at $400. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rod Carew #400 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 Rod Carew #400 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rod Carew #400 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.52).
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