Is John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Finest Embossed · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 sell for $127, only $0.00 above the $142 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($40.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $142
- PSA 10
- $127
- PSA 9
- $40.00
- Gem premium
- 0.9×
- 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 | $127 | −$40.25 | −$65.25 | −$165 |
| PSA 9 | $40.00 | −$127 | −$152 | −$252 |
Net = sale price − $142 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% | $61.75 | −$131 |
| 50% | $83.50 | −$109 |
| 75% | $105 | −$87.00 |
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 | $165 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $127 | −$38.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $76.00 | −$89.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $76.00 | −$89.00 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Finest Embossed cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Darin Erstad [Refractor] #276 1997 Finest Embossed card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MeYAAeSwBf9pug~9/s-l500.jpg)
Grading John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 sell for $127, only $0.00 above the $142 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($40.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 (Baseball Cards 1997 Finest Embossed) sells for about $127 versus $142 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.9× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz [Refractor] #136?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $165, ahead of PSA 10 at $127. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz [Refractor] #136 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.
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