![Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 (Baseball Cards 1997 Spx) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/t2EAAeSwM2lqg6~O/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Spx · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 sells for $857 against $90.00 raw: a $767 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($110) 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)
- $90.00
- PSA 10
- $857
- PSA 9
- $110
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- 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 | $857 | +$742 | +$717 | +$617 |
| PSA 9 | $110 | −$4.98 | −$29.98 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $51.00 | −$64.00 | −$89.00 | −$189 |
Net = sale price − $90.00 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% | $297 | +$157 |
| 50% | $483 | +$343 |
| 75% | $670 | +$530 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $1,114 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $857 | −$257 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $514 | −$600 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $514 | −$600 | 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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Grading Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 sells for $857 against $90.00 raw: a $767 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($110) 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 Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 (Baseball Cards 1997 Spx) sells for about $857 versus $90.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.5× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas [Gold] #17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,114, ahead of PSA 10 at $857. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 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 Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Frank Thomas [Gold] #17 breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $110).
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