Is Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 41× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 sells for $59.99 against $1.45 raw: a $58.54 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.03) 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)
- $1.45
- PSA 10
- $59.99
- PSA 9
- $22.03
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $59.99 | +$33.54 | +$8.54 | −$91.46 |
| PSA 9 | $22.03 | −$4.42 | −$29.42 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $5.00 | −$21.45 | −$46.45 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.45 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% | $31.52 | −$19.93 |
| 50% | $41.01 | −$10.44 |
| 75% | $50.50 | −$0.95 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 78%. 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 | $78.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.99 | −$18.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 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 | $59.99 | $36.00 | $78.00 | $36.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $38.25 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $22.03 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.13 |
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 Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 — FAQ
Is Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 sells for $59.99 against $1.45 raw: a $58.54 spread, 41× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.03) 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 Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 (Baseball Cards 1989 Upper Deck) sells for about $59.99 versus $1.45 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $78.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 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 Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ramon Martinez: Star Rookie #18 breaks even when it gems about 78% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.03).
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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