Is Kirby Puckett #40 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1993 Topps Black Gold · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 67× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Kirby Puckett #40 sells for $103 against $1.55 raw: a $102 spread, 67× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.49) 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)
- $1.55
- PSA 10
- $103
- PSA 9
- $17.49
- Gem premium
- 67×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $103 | +$76.67 | +$51.67 | −$48.33 |
| PSA 9 | $17.49 | −$9.06 | −$34.06 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $13.79 | −$12.76 | −$37.76 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.55 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% | $38.92 | −$12.63 |
| 50% | $60.35 | +$8.80 |
| 75% | $81.79 | +$30.24 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $134 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $103 | −$30.78 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $62.00 | −$72.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $62.00 | −$72.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $103 | $62.00 | $134 | $62.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $35.26 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.49 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.79 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.57 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1993 Topps Black Gold cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Kirby Puckett #40 — FAQ
Is Kirby Puckett #40 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Kirby Puckett #40 sells for $103 against $1.55 raw: a $102 spread, 67× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.49) 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 Kirby Puckett #40 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Kirby Puckett #40 (Baseball Cards 1993 Topps Black Gold) sells for about $103 versus $1.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 67× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Kirby Puckett #40?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $134, ahead of PSA 10 at $103. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Kirby Puckett #40 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 Kirby Puckett #40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Kirby Puckett #40 breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.49).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
Check my card free