Is Walter Johnson #9 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Conlon Collection · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 60× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Walter Johnson #9 sells for $98.25 against $1.64 raw: a $96.61 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.10) 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)
- $1.64
- PSA 10
- $98.25
- PSA 9
- $21.10
- Gem premium
- 60×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $98.25 | +$71.61 | +$46.61 | −$53.39 |
| PSA 9 | $21.10 | −$5.54 | −$30.54 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.65 | −$41.65 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.64 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% | $40.39 | −$11.25 |
| 50% | $59.67 | +$8.03 |
| 75% | $78.96 | +$27.32 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $128 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $98.25 | −$29.75 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $59.00 | −$69.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $59.00 | −$69.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1991 Conlon Collection cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Walter Johnson #9 — FAQ
Is Walter Johnson #9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Walter Johnson #9 sells for $98.25 against $1.64 raw: a $96.61 spread, 60× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.10) 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 Walter Johnson #9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Walter Johnson #9 (Baseball Cards 1991 Conlon Collection) sells for about $98.25 versus $1.64 for a raw near-mint copy — a 60× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Walter Johnson #9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $128, ahead of PSA 10 at $98.25. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Walter Johnson #9 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 Walter Johnson #9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Walter Johnson #9 breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.10).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
