Is John Smoltz #17 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #17 sells for $68.57 against $1.79 raw: a $66.78 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.74) 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
- $68.57
- PSA 9
- $19.74
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $68.57 | +$41.78 | +$16.78 | −$83.22 |
| PSA 9 | $19.74 | −$7.05 | −$32.05 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $9.36 | −$17.43 | −$42.43 | −$142 |
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% | $31.95 | −$19.84 |
| 50% | $44.15 | −$7.64 |
| 75% | $56.36 | +$4.57 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 66%. 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 | $189 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $68.57 | −$120 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$148 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $27.01 | −$161 | 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 | $68.57 | $41.00 | $189 | $27.01 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $35.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.74 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.36 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.72 |
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 John Smoltz #17 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #17 sells for $68.57 against $1.79 raw: a $66.78 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.74) 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 #17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #17 (Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck) sells for about $68.57 versus $1.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $189, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #17 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 John Smoltz #17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Smoltz #17 breaks even when it gems about 66% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.74).
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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