Is Lonnie Smith #306 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Topps Desert Shield · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lonnie Smith #306 sells for $96.51 against $5.34 raw: a $91.17 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.02) 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)
- $5.34
- PSA 10
- $96.51
- PSA 9
- $54.02
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $96.51 | +$66.17 | +$41.17 | −$58.83 |
| PSA 9 | $54.02 | +$23.68 | −$1.32 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $12.50 | −$17.84 | −$42.84 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $5.34 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% | $64.64 | +$9.30 |
| 50% | $75.27 | +$19.92 |
| 75% | $85.89 | +$30.55 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $125 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $96.51 | −$28.49 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $58.00 | −$67.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $58.00 | −$67.00 | 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 Lonnie Smith #306 — FAQ
Is Lonnie Smith #306 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lonnie Smith #306 sells for $96.51 against $5.34 raw: a $91.17 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($54.02) 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 Lonnie Smith #306 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lonnie Smith #306 (Baseball Cards 1991 Topps Desert Shield) sells for about $96.51 versus $5.34 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lonnie Smith #306?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $125, ahead of PSA 10 at $96.51. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lonnie Smith #306 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 Lonnie Smith #306 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lonnie Smith #306 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $54.02).
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