Is Al Kaline #21 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Perez Steele Celebration Postcard · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Al Kaline #21 sell for $25.65, only $9.15 above the $16.50 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.66) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $16.50
- PSA 10
- $25.65
- PSA 9
- $15.66
- Gem premium
- 1.6×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $25.65 | −$15.85 | −$40.85 | −$141 |
| PSA 9 | $15.66 | −$25.84 | −$50.84 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $16.50 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% | $18.16 | −$48.34 |
| 50% | $20.66 | −$45.84 |
| 75% | $23.15 | −$43.35 |
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 | $33.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $25.65 | −$7.35 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $15.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $15.00 | −$18.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1989 Perez Steele Celebration Postcard cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Al Kaline #21 — FAQ
Is Al Kaline #21 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Al Kaline #21 sell for $25.65, only $9.15 above the $16.50 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.66) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Al Kaline #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Al Kaline #21 (Baseball Cards 1989 Perez Steele Celebration Postcard) sells for about $25.65 versus $16.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.6× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Al Kaline #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $33.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $25.65. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Al Kaline #21 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.
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
