Is Cal Ripken Jr. #140 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #140 sells for $110 against $3.10 raw: a $107 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.39) 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)
- $3.10
- PSA 10
- $110
- PSA 9
- $26.39
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $110 | +$82.23 | +$57.23 | −$42.77 |
| PSA 9 | $26.39 | −$1.71 | −$26.71 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $7.67 | −$20.43 | −$45.43 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $3.10 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% | $47.38 | −$5.73 |
| 50% | $68.36 | +$15.26 |
| 75% | $89.34 | +$36.25 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 32%. 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 | $143 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $110 | −$32.67 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $66.00 | −$77.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $66.00 | −$77.00 | 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 | $110 | $66.00 | $143 | $66.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $42.06 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $26.39 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.67 |
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 Cal Ripken Jr. #140 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. #140 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #140 sells for $110 against $3.10 raw: a $107 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.39) 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 Cal Ripken Jr. #140 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #140 (Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Chrome) sells for about $110 versus $3.10 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. #140?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $143, ahead of PSA 10 at $110. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. #140 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 Cal Ripken Jr. #140 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cal Ripken Jr. #140 breaks even when it gems about 32% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.39).
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