Is Gary Sheffield #501 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Gary Sheffield #501 sell for $16.72, only $15.13 above the $1.59 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($7.40) 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)
- $1.59
- PSA 10
- $16.72
- PSA 9
- $7.40
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $16.72 | −$9.87 | −$34.87 | −$135 |
| PSA 9 | $7.40 | −$19.19 | −$44.19 | −$144 |
| PSA 8 | $3.95 | −$22.64 | −$47.64 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $1.59 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% | $9.73 | −$41.86 |
| 50% | $12.06 | −$39.53 |
| 75% | $14.39 | −$37.20 |
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 | $22.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $16.72 | −$5.28 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $10.00 | −$12.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $10.00 | −$12.00 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Gary Sheffield #501 — FAQ
Is Gary Sheffield #501 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Gary Sheffield #501 sell for $16.72, only $15.13 above the $1.59 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($7.40) 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 Gary Sheffield #501 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Sheffield #501 (Baseball Cards 1990 Donruss) sells for about $16.72 versus $1.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Sheffield #501?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $22.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $16.72. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Sheffield #501 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.
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