Is John Smoltz #U-74 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Fleer Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #U-74 sells for $110 against $2.87 raw: a $107 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.56) 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)
- $2.87
- PSA 10
- $110
- PSA 9
- $16.56
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $110 | +$82.13 | +$57.13 | −$42.87 |
| PSA 9 | $16.56 | −$11.31 | −$36.31 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $7.88 | −$19.99 | −$44.99 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $2.87 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% | $39.92 | −$12.95 |
| 50% | $63.28 | +$10.41 |
| 75% | $86.64 | +$33.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $143 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $110 | −$33.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $66.00 | −$77.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$103 | 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 | $110 | $66.00 | $143 | $40.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $70.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16.56 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.88 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.96 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading John Smoltz #U-74 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #U-74 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #U-74 sells for $110 against $2.87 raw: a $107 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.56) 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 John Smoltz #U-74 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #U-74 (Baseball Cards 1988 Fleer Update) sells for about $110 versus $2.87 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #U-74?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $143, ahead of PSA 10 at $110. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #U-74 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 John Smoltz #U-74 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Smoltz #U-74 breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.56).
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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