Is Tom Kelly #459 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1992 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 57× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tom Kelly #459 sells for $93.07 against $1.63 raw: a $91.44 spread, 57× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.34) 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)
- $1.63
- PSA 10
- $93.07
- PSA 9
- $20.34
- Gem premium
- 57×
- 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 | $93.07 | +$66.44 | +$41.44 | −$58.56 |
| PSA 9 | $20.34 | −$6.29 | −$31.29 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $9.70 | −$16.93 | −$41.93 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.63 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% | $38.52 | −$13.11 |
| 50% | $56.70 | +$5.07 |
| 75% | $74.89 | +$23.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 43%. 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 | $121 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $93.07 | −$27.93 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $56.00 | −$65.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $56.00 | −$65.00 | 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 Tom Kelly #459 — FAQ
Is Tom Kelly #459 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Kelly #459 sells for $93.07 against $1.63 raw: a $91.44 spread, 57× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.34) 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 Tom Kelly #459 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Kelly #459 (Baseball Cards 1992 Topps) sells for about $93.07 versus $1.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 57× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Kelly #459?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $121, ahead of PSA 10 at $93.07. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Kelly #459 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 Tom Kelly #459 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Kelly #459 breaks even when it gems about 43% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.34).
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