Is Shawn Boskie #254 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Topps Desert Shield · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Shawn Boskie #254 sells for $168 against $3.99 raw: a $164 spread, 42× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.84) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $3.99
- PSA 10
- $168
- PSA 9
- $42.84
- Gem premium
- 42×
- As of
- Sep 12, 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 | $168 | +$139 | +$114 | +$14.11 |
| PSA 9 | $42.84 | +$13.85 | −$11.15 | −$111 |
| PSA 8 | $17.18 | −$11.81 | −$36.81 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $3.99 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% | $74.16 | +$20.17 |
| 50% | $105 | +$51.48 |
| 75% | $137 | +$82.79 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $219 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $168 | −$50.90 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $101 | −$118 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $101 | −$118 | 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 Shawn Boskie #254 — FAQ
Is Shawn Boskie #254 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shawn Boskie #254 sells for $168 against $3.99 raw: a $164 spread, 42× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.84) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Shawn Boskie #254 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shawn Boskie #254 (Baseball Cards 1991 Topps Desert Shield) sells for about $168 versus $3.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Sep 12, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shawn Boskie #254?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $219, ahead of PSA 10 at $168. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shawn Boskie #254 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 Shawn Boskie #254 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shawn Boskie #254 breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.84).
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