Is Lou Whitaker #770 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1988 Topps · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Lou Whitaker #770 sell for $23.88, only $22.52 above the $1.36 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.89) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.36
- PSA 10
- $23.88
- PSA 9
- $10.89
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $23.88 | −$2.48 | −$27.48 | −$127 |
| PSA 9 | $10.89 | −$15.47 | −$40.47 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $5.76 | −$20.60 | −$45.60 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.36 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% | $14.14 | −$37.22 |
| 50% | $17.38 | −$33.98 |
| 75% | $20.63 | −$30.73 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $31.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $23.88 | −$7.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $14.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $14.00 | −$17.00 | 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 Lou Whitaker #770 — FAQ
Is Lou Whitaker #770 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Lou Whitaker #770 sell for $23.88, only $22.52 above the $1.36 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.89) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Lou Whitaker #770 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lou Whitaker #770 (Baseball Cards 1988 Topps) sells for about $23.88 versus $1.36 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lou Whitaker #770?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $31.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $23.88. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lou Whitaker #770 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.
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