Is Lee Smith #19 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Lee Smith #19 sell for $23.80, only $21.92 above the $1.88 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.48) 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)
- $1.88
- PSA 10
- $23.80
- PSA 9
- $3.48
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $23.80 | −$3.08 | −$28.08 | −$128 |
| PSA 9 | $3.48 | −$23.40 | −$48.40 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $1.88 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% | $8.56 | −$43.32 |
| 50% | $13.64 | −$38.24 |
| 75% | $18.72 | −$33.16 |
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 | $23.80 | −$7.20 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $23.80 | $14.00 | $31.00 | $14.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $4.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $3.48 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1989 Bowman cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Lee Smith #19 — FAQ
Is Lee Smith #19 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Lee Smith #19 sell for $23.80, only $21.92 above the $1.88 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.48) 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 Lee Smith #19 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lee Smith #19 (Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman) sells for about $23.80 versus $1.88 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lee Smith #19?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $31.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $23.80. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lee Smith #19 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.
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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