Is Frank Thomas #153 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Topps '90 M.L. Debut · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #153 sells for $132 against $24.64 raw: a $108 spread, 5.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.04) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $24.64
- PSA 10
- $132
- PSA 9
- $16.04
- Gem premium
- 5.4×
- 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 | $132 | +$82.62 | +$57.62 | −$42.38 |
| PSA 9 | $16.04 | −$33.60 | −$58.60 | −$159 |
| PSA 8 | $14.07 | −$35.57 | −$60.57 | −$161 |
Net = sale price − $24.64 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% | $45.09 | −$29.55 |
| 50% | $74.15 | −$0.49 |
| 75% | $103 | +$28.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 50%. 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 | $172 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $132 | −$39.74 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $79.00 | −$93.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $79.00 | −$93.00 | 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 | $132 | $79.00 | $172 | $79.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $18.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $16.04 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $14.07 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $11.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Frank Thomas #153 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #153 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #153 sells for $132 against $24.64 raw: a $108 spread, 5.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.04) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Frank Thomas #153 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #153 (Baseball Cards 1991 Topps '90 M.L. Debut) sells for about $132 versus $24.64 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.4× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas #153?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $172, ahead of PSA 10 at $132. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas #153 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 Frank Thomas #153 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Frank Thomas #153 breaks even when it gems about 50% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.04).
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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