Is John Kruk #596 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 134× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Kruk #596 sells for $84.21 against $0.63 raw: a $83.58 spread, 134× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.98) 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)
- $0.63
- PSA 10
- $84.21
- PSA 9
- $14.98
- Gem premium
- 134×
- 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 | $84.21 | +$58.58 | +$33.58 | −$66.42 |
| PSA 9 | $14.98 | −$10.65 | −$35.65 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $4.99 | −$20.64 | −$45.64 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $0.63 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% | $32.29 | −$18.34 |
| 50% | $49.59 | −$1.04 |
| 75% | $66.90 | +$16.27 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 51%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.21 | −$24.79 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $51.00 | −$58.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $51.00 | −$58.00 | 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 John Kruk #596 — FAQ
Is John Kruk #596 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Kruk #596 sells for $84.21 against $0.63 raw: a $83.58 spread, 134× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.98) 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 Kruk #596 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Kruk #596 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps) sells for about $84.21 versus $0.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 134× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Kruk #596?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.21. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Kruk #596 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 Kruk #596 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Kruk #596 breaks even when it gems about 51% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.98).
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