Is John Smoltz #266 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #266 sells for $49.99 against $1.63 raw: a $48.36 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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)
- $1.63
- PSA 10
- $49.99
- PSA 9
- $14.99
- Gem premium
- 31×
- 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 | $49.99 | +$23.36 | −$1.64 | −$102 |
| PSA 9 | $14.99 | −$11.64 | −$36.64 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $5.00 | −$21.63 | −$46.63 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.63 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% | $23.74 | −$27.89 |
| 50% | $32.49 | −$19.14 |
| 75% | $41.24 | −$10.39 |
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 | $65.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $49.99 | −$15.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.00 | −$35.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $12.50 | −$52.50 | 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 | $49.99 | $30.00 | $65.00 | $12.50 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $16.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.90 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading John Smoltz #266 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #266 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #266 sells for $49.99 against $1.63 raw: a $48.36 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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 Smoltz #266 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #266 (Baseball Cards 1989 Bowman) sells for about $49.99 versus $1.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #266?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $65.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $49.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #266 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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