Is Bobby Shantz #21 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1994 Topps Archives 1954 Reprint · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 51× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bobby Shantz #21 sells for $86.63 against $1.70 raw: a $84.93 spread, 51× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.47) 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)
- $1.70
- PSA 10
- $86.63
- PSA 9
- $19.47
- Gem premium
- 51×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $86.63 | +$59.93 | +$34.93 | −$65.07 |
| PSA 9 | $19.47 | −$7.23 | −$32.23 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $9.41 | −$17.29 | −$42.29 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.70 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% | $36.26 | −$15.44 |
| 50% | $53.05 | +$1.35 |
| 75% | $69.84 | +$18.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 48%. 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 | $113 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $86.63 | −$26.37 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $52.00 | −$61.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $52.00 | −$61.00 | 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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Other 1994 Topps Archives 1954 Reprint cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Bobby Shantz #21 — FAQ
Is Bobby Shantz #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bobby Shantz #21 sells for $86.63 against $1.70 raw: a $84.93 spread, 51× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.47) 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 Bobby Shantz #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bobby Shantz #21 (Baseball Cards 1994 Topps Archives 1954 Reprint) sells for about $86.63 versus $1.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 51× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bobby Shantz #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $113, ahead of PSA 10 at $86.63. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bobby Shantz #21 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 Bobby Shantz #21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bobby Shantz #21 breaks even when it gems about 48% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.47).
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