Is Cal Ripken Jr. #4 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Gallery · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #4 sells for $68.53 against $1.61 raw: a $66.92 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.99) 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)
- $1.61
- PSA 10
- $68.53
- PSA 9
- $29.99
- Gem premium
- 43×
- 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 | $68.53 | +$41.92 | +$16.92 | −$83.08 |
| PSA 9 | $29.99 | +$3.38 | −$21.62 | −$122 |
| PSA 8 | $10.26 | −$16.35 | −$41.35 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.61 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% | $39.63 | −$11.98 |
| 50% | $49.26 | −$2.35 |
| 75% | $58.90 | +$7.29 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $89.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $68.53 | −$20.47 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 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 | $68.53 | $41.00 | $89.00 | $41.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $30.58 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.26 |
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 Cal Ripken Jr. #4 — FAQ
Is Cal Ripken Jr. #4 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #4 sells for $68.53 against $1.61 raw: a $66.92 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($29.99) 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 Cal Ripken Jr. #4 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cal Ripken Jr. #4 (Baseball Cards 1997 Topps Gallery) sells for about $68.53 versus $1.61 for a raw near-mint copy — a 43× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cal Ripken Jr. #4?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $89.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.53. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cal Ripken Jr. #4 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. #4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cal Ripken Jr. #4 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.99).
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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