Is Fernando Valenzuela #250 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Fernando Valenzuela #250 sells for $54.99 against $1.79 raw: a $53.20 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.99) 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)
- $1.79
- PSA 10
- $54.99
- PSA 9
- $23.99
- 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 | $54.99 | +$28.20 | +$3.20 | −$96.80 |
| PSA 9 | $23.99 | −$2.80 | −$27.80 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $6.05 | −$20.74 | −$45.74 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.79 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% | $31.74 | −$20.05 |
| 50% | $39.49 | −$12.30 |
| 75% | $47.24 | −$4.55 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 90%. 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 | $71.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $54.99 | −$16.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $33.00 | −$38.00 | 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 | $54.99 | $33.00 | $71.00 | $33.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $42.84 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.05 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1989 Donruss cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Fernando Valenzuela #250 — FAQ
Is Fernando Valenzuela #250 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Fernando Valenzuela #250 sells for $54.99 against $1.79 raw: a $53.20 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.99) 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 Fernando Valenzuela #250 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Fernando Valenzuela #250 (Baseball Cards 1989 Donruss) sells for about $54.99 versus $1.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Fernando Valenzuela #250?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $71.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $54.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Fernando Valenzuela #250 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 Fernando Valenzuela #250 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Fernando Valenzuela #250 breaks even when it gems about 90% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.99).
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.
Check my card free