Is Frank Thomas #189 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1993 Flair · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #189 sells for $69.99 against $1.44 raw: a $68.55 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.31) 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)
- $1.44
- PSA 10
- $69.99
- PSA 9
- $13.31
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $69.99 | +$43.55 | +$18.55 | −$81.45 |
| PSA 9 | $13.31 | −$13.13 | −$38.13 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $13.00 | −$13.44 | −$38.44 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.44 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% | $27.48 | −$23.96 |
| 50% | $41.65 | −$9.79 |
| 75% | $55.82 | +$4.38 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 67%. 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 | $91.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $69.99 | −$21.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 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 Frank Thomas #189 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #189 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #189 sells for $69.99 against $1.44 raw: a $68.55 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.31) 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 Frank Thomas #189 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #189 (Baseball Cards 1993 Flair) sells for about $69.99 versus $1.44 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas #189?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $91.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $69.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas #189 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 #189 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Frank Thomas #189 breaks even when it gems about 67% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.31).
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