![Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 (Baseball Cards 1997 Spx) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/xgoAAeSwdJNocuja/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Spx · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 sells for $366 against $13.16 raw: a $353 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $13.16
- PSA 10
- $366
- PSA 9
- $40.00
- Gem premium
- 28×
- 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 | $366 | +$328 | +$303 | +$203 |
| PSA 9 | $40.00 | +$1.84 | −$23.16 | −$123 |
| PSA 8 | $36.75 | −$1.41 | −$26.41 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $13.16 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% | $122 | +$58.39 |
| 50% | $203 | +$140 |
| 75% | $285 | +$221 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 7%. 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 | $476 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $366 | −$110 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $220 | −$256 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $220 | −$256 | 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 | $366 | $220 | $476 | $220 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $112 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $36.75 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $28.35 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Spx cards worth checking
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Grading Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 sells for $366 against $13.16 raw: a $353 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($40.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 (Baseball Cards 1997 Spx) sells for about $366 versus $13.16 for a raw near-mint copy — a 28× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $476, ahead of PSA 10 at $366. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 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 Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey Jr. [Sample] #45 breaks even when it gems about 7% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.00).
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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