Is John Smoltz #61 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz #61 sell for $23.99, only $21.32 above the $2.67 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.67
- PSA 10
- $23.99
- PSA 9
- $19.99
- Gem premium
- 9.0×
- 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 | $23.99 | −$3.68 | −$28.68 | −$129 |
| PSA 9 | $19.99 | −$7.68 | −$32.68 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $2.67 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% | $20.99 | −$31.68 |
| 50% | $21.99 | −$30.68 |
| 75% | $22.99 | −$29.68 |
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 | $31.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $23.99 | −$7.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $14.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $14.00 | −$17.00 | 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 | $23.99 | $14.00 | $31.00 | $14.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $22.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading John Smoltz #61 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz #61 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of John Smoltz #61 sell for $23.99, only $21.32 above the $2.67 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 John Smoltz #61 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz #61 (Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome) sells for about $23.99 versus $2.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.0× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz #61?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $31.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $23.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz #61 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.
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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