Is Frank Thomas #U243 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Fleer Update · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Frank Thomas #U243 sell for $24.00, only $21.58 above the $2.42 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.49) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.42
- PSA 10
- $24.00
- PSA 9
- $21.49
- Gem premium
- 9.9×
- 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 | $24.00 | −$3.42 | −$28.42 | −$128 |
| PSA 9 | $21.49 | −$5.93 | −$30.93 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $10.53 | −$16.89 | −$41.89 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.42 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% | $22.12 | −$30.30 |
| 50% | $22.74 | −$29.68 |
| 75% | $23.37 | −$29.05 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $31.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $24.00 | −$7.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $14.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $14.00 | −$17.00 | 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 | $24.00 | $14.00 | $31.00 | $14.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.49 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.53 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Fleer Update cards worth checking
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Grading Frank Thomas #U243 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #U243 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Frank Thomas #U243 sell for $24.00, only $21.58 above the $2.42 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.49) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Frank Thomas #U243 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #U243 (Baseball Cards 1996 Fleer Update) sells for about $24.00 versus $2.42 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.9× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas #U243?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $31.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $24.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas #U243 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.
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.
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