Is Mike Piazza #9 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mike Piazza #9 sells for $62.97 against $1.30 raw: a $61.67 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.51) 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)
- $1.30
- PSA 10
- $62.97
- PSA 9
- $18.51
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $62.97 | +$36.67 | +$11.67 | −$88.33 |
| PSA 9 | $18.51 | −$7.79 | −$32.79 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $13.90 | −$12.40 | −$37.40 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.30 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% | $29.63 | −$21.68 |
| 50% | $40.74 | −$10.56 |
| 75% | $51.85 | +$0.55 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 74%. 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 | $82.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $62.97 | −$19.03 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $38.00 | −$44.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $38.00 | −$44.00 | 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 | $62.97 | $38.00 | $82.00 | $38.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $29.05 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $18.51 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.90 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Mariano Rivera [Refractor] #89 1997 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/iJMAAeSwOvlod5q4/s-l500.jpg)
![Greg Maddux [Refractor] #49 1997 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/FekAAeSwroZqRq64/s-l500.jpg)
![Chipper Jones [Refractor] #97 1997 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ba8AAeSwhZ9qUBw-/s-l500.jpg)
![Derek Jeter [Refractor] #7 1997 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QRAAAeSwCkVqUtGs/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Refractor] #41 1997 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/0kwAAeSwhPFqBigW/s-l500.jpg)
![Cal Ripken Jr. [Refractor] #140 1997 Topps Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/bPsAAOSwo5NnYI5I/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mike Piazza #9 — FAQ
Is Mike Piazza #9 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mike Piazza #9 sells for $62.97 against $1.30 raw: a $61.67 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.51) 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 Mike Piazza #9 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mike Piazza #9 (Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome) sells for about $62.97 versus $1.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mike Piazza #9?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $82.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $62.97. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mike Piazza #9 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 Mike Piazza #9 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mike Piazza #9 breaks even when it gems about 74% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.51).
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.
Check my card free