Is Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 sells for $51.96 against $1.32 raw: a $50.64 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.95) 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)
- $1.32
- PSA 10
- $51.96
- PSA 9
- $14.95
- Gem premium
- 39×
- 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 | $51.96 | +$25.64 | +$0.64 | −$99.36 |
| PSA 9 | $14.95 | −$11.37 | −$36.37 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $5.50 | −$20.82 | −$45.82 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.32 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% | $24.20 | −$27.12 |
| 50% | $33.45 | −$17.87 |
| 75% | $42.71 | −$8.61 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 98%. 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 | $68.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.96 | −$16.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$37.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$37.00 | 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 | $51.96 | $31.00 | $68.00 | $31.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $20.44 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $14.95 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.46 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1989 Upper Deck cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Gary Varsho [Mike Bielecki] #321 1989 Upper Deck card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kMcAAOSw6w5n8BiK/s-l500.jpg)
![Gary Sheffield [Upside Down] #13 1989 Upper Deck card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cXUAAeSwU7xqV9Kw/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 — FAQ
Is Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 sells for $51.96 against $1.32 raw: a $50.64 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.95) 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 Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 (Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck) sells for about $51.96 versus $1.32 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sandy Alomar Jr. #5?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $68.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.96. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 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 Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sandy Alomar Jr. #5 breaks even when it gems about 98% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.95).
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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