Is Sammy Sosa #286 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Topps Big · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 46× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sammy Sosa #286 sells for $92.50 against $1.99 raw: a $90.51 spread, 46× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.75) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $92.50
- PSA 9
- $12.75
- Gem premium
- 46×
- 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 | $92.50 | +$65.51 | +$40.51 | −$59.49 |
| PSA 9 | $12.75 | −$14.24 | −$39.24 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $6.17 | −$20.82 | −$45.82 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $32.69 | −$19.30 |
| 50% | $52.63 | +$0.63 |
| 75% | $72.56 | +$20.57 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 | $120 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $92.50 | −$27.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $56.00 | −$64.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $56.00 | −$64.00 | 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 | $92.50 | $56.00 | $120 | $56.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $43.71 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.75 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.17 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $3.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Sammy Sosa #286 — FAQ
Is Sammy Sosa #286 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sammy Sosa #286 sells for $92.50 against $1.99 raw: a $90.51 spread, 46× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.75) 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 Sammy Sosa #286 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sammy Sosa #286 (Baseball Cards 1990 Topps Big) sells for about $92.50 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 46× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sammy Sosa #286?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $120, ahead of PSA 10 at $92.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sammy Sosa #286 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 Sammy Sosa #286 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sammy Sosa #286 breaks even when it gems about 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.75).
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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