Is John Smoltz #535 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1990 Topps Tiffany · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 16× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #535 sells for $63.87 against $3.90 raw: a $59.97 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.10) 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)
- $3.90
- PSA 10
- $63.87
- PSA 9
- $22.10
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $63.87 | +$34.97 | +$9.97 | −$90.03 |
| PSA 9 | $22.10 | −$6.80 | −$31.80 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $19.50 | −$9.40 | −$34.40 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $3.90 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% | $32.54 | −$21.36 |
| 50% | $42.98 | −$10.91 |
| 75% | $53.43 | −$0.47 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 76%. 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 | $83.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $63.87 | −$19.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $38.00 | −$45.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $38.00 | −$45.00 | 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 John Smoltz #535 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #535 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #535 sells for $63.87 against $3.90 raw: a $59.97 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.10) 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 John Smoltz #535 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #535 (Baseball Cards 1990 Topps Tiffany) sells for about $63.87 versus $3.90 for a raw near-mint copy — a 16× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #535?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $83.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $63.87. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #535 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 John Smoltz #535 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Smoltz #535 breaks even when it gems about 76% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.10).
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