Is Babe Ruth #888 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1993 Conlon Collection · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #888 sells for $121 against $2.55 raw: a $119 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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)
- $2.55
- PSA 10
- $121
- PSA 9
- $24.99
- Gem premium
- 48×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $121 | +$93.94 | +$68.94 | −$31.06 |
| PSA 9 | $24.99 | −$2.56 | −$27.56 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $10.00 | −$17.55 | −$42.55 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $2.55 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% | $49.11 | −$3.44 |
| 50% | $73.24 | +$20.69 |
| 75% | $97.36 | +$44.81 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. 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 | $158 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $121 | −$36.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $73.00 | −$85.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $73.00 | −$85.00 | 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 1993 Conlon Collection cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Babe Ruth #888 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #888 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #888 sells for $121 against $2.55 raw: a $119 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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 Babe Ruth #888 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #888 (Baseball Cards 1993 Conlon Collection) sells for about $121 versus $2.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #888?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $158, ahead of PSA 10 at $121. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #888 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 Babe Ruth #888 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Babe Ruth #888 breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.99).
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.
