Is John Smoltz #580 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Bowman · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz #580 sell for $13.88, only $12.59 above the $1.29 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($13.49) 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)
- $1.29
- PSA 10
- $13.88
- PSA 9
- $13.49
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $13.88 | −$12.41 | −$37.41 | −$137 |
| PSA 9 | $13.49 | −$12.80 | −$37.80 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.30 | −$41.30 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.29 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% | $13.59 | −$37.70 |
| 50% | $13.69 | −$37.61 |
| 75% | $13.78 | −$37.51 |
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 | $18.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $13.88 | −$4.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $8.00 | −$10.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $8.00 | −$10.00 | 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 | $13.88 | $8.00 | $18.00 | $8.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $14.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $13.49 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.99 |
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 #580 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #580 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz #580 sell for $13.88, only $12.59 above the $1.29 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($13.49) 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 #580 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #580 (Baseball Cards 1991 Bowman) sells for about $13.88 versus $1.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #580?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $18.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $13.88. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #580 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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