Is John Smoltz #59 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Leaf · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz #59 sell for $25.80, only $24.81 above the $0.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.04) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.99
- PSA 10
- $25.80
- PSA 9
- $12.04
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $25.80 | −$0.19 | −$25.19 | −$125 |
| PSA 9 | $12.04 | −$13.95 | −$38.95 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $8.20 | −$17.79 | −$42.79 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $0.99 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% | $15.48 | −$35.51 |
| 50% | $18.92 | −$32.07 |
| 75% | $22.36 | −$28.63 |
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 | $34.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $25.80 | −$8.20 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $15.00 | −$19.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $15.00 | −$19.00 | 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 | $25.80 | $15.00 | $34.00 | $15.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $13.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.04 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.20 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading John Smoltz #59 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #59 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz #59 sell for $25.80, only $24.81 above the $0.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.04) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 John Smoltz #59 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #59 (Baseball Cards 1990 Leaf) sells for about $25.80 versus $0.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 26× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #59?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $34.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $25.80. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #59 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.
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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