Is Ken Griffey #259 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey #259 sells for $101 against $2.09 raw: a $99.06 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.14) 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)
- $2.09
- PSA 10
- $101
- PSA 9
- $22.14
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $101 | +$74.06 | +$49.06 | −$50.94 |
| PSA 9 | $22.14 | −$4.95 | −$29.95 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $15.16 | −$11.93 | −$36.93 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $2.09 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% | $41.89 | −$10.20 |
| 50% | $61.65 | +$9.56 |
| 75% | $81.40 | +$29.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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 | $132 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $101 | −$30.85 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $64.99 | −$67.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.29 | −$77.71 | 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 | $101 | $64.99 | $132 | $54.29 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.88 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $22.14 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.16 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.25 |
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 Ken Griffey #259 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey #259 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey #259 sells for $101 against $2.09 raw: a $99.06 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.14) 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 Ken Griffey #259 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey #259 (Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman) sells for about $101 versus $2.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey #259?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $132, ahead of PSA 10 at $101. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey #259 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 Ken Griffey #259 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey #259 breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.14).
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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