Is Steve Sax #305 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 385× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Sax #305 sells for $500 against $1.30 raw: a $499 spread, 385× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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)
- $1.30
- PSA 10
- $500
- PSA 9
- $25.00
- Gem premium
- 385×
- 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 | $500 | +$474 | +$449 | +$349 |
| PSA 9 | $25.00 | −$1.30 | −$26.30 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $22.34 | −$3.96 | −$28.96 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $1.30 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% | $144 | +$92.44 |
| 50% | $262 | +$211 |
| 75% | $381 | +$330 |
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 | $650 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $500 | −$150 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $300 | −$350 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $300 | −$350 | 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 | $500 | $300 | $650 | $300 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $37.71 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $25.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $22.34 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1988 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Steve Sax #305 — FAQ
Is Steve Sax #305 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Sax #305 sells for $500 against $1.30 raw: a $499 spread, 385× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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 Steve Sax #305 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Sax #305 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps) sells for about $500 versus $1.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 385× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Sax #305?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $650, ahead of PSA 10 at $500. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Sax #305 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 Steve Sax #305 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Sax #305 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.00).
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