![Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BFoAAeSwnN9qafTC/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 sells for $70.60 against $1.68 raw: a $68.92 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.25) 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)
- $1.68
- PSA 10
- $70.60
- PSA 9
- $20.25
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $70.60 | +$43.92 | +$18.92 | −$81.08 |
| PSA 9 | $20.25 | −$6.43 | −$31.43 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $17.75 | −$8.93 | −$33.93 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.68 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% | $32.84 | −$18.84 |
| 50% | $45.42 | −$6.26 |
| 75% | $58.01 | +$6.33 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $92.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $70.60 | −$21.40 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $18.50 | −$73.50 | 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 | $70.60 | $42.00 | $92.00 | $18.50 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.25 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $17.75 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $5.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Topps cards worth checking
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Grading Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 sells for $70.60 against $1.68 raw: a $68.92 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.25) 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 Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 (Baseball Cards 1996 Topps) sells for about $70.60 versus $1.68 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $92.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $70.60. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 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 Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cal Ripken Jr. [Tribute Card] #96 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.25).
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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