Is Hank Aaron #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Pacific Legends · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 60× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Hank Aaron #1 sells for $120 against $2.00 raw: a $118 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.45) 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)
- $2.00
- PSA 10
- $120
- PSA 9
- $24.45
- Gem premium
- 60×
- 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 | $120 | +$92.50 | +$67.50 | −$32.50 |
| PSA 9 | $24.45 | −$2.55 | −$27.55 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $11.43 | −$15.57 | −$40.57 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $2.00 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% | $48.21 | −$3.79 |
| 50% | $71.97 | +$19.97 |
| 75% | $95.74 | +$43.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. 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 | $155 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $120 | −$35.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $72.00 | −$83.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $72.00 | −$83.00 | 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.
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Grading Hank Aaron #1 — FAQ
Is Hank Aaron #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Hank Aaron #1 sells for $120 against $2.00 raw: a $118 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.45) 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 Hank Aaron #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Hank Aaron #1 (Baseball Cards 1990 Pacific Legends) sells for about $120 versus $2.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 60× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Hank Aaron #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $155, ahead of PSA 10 at $120. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Hank Aaron #1 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 Hank Aaron #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Hank Aaron #1 breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.45).
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