Is Orlando Hernandez #221 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Bowman Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Orlando Hernandez #221 sells for $75.00 against $10.00 raw: a $65.00 spread, 7.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.23) 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)
- $10.00
- PSA 10
- $75.00
- PSA 9
- $33.23
- Gem premium
- 7.5×
- 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 | $75.00 | +$40.00 | +$15.00 | −$85.00 |
| PSA 9 | $33.23 | −$1.77 | −$26.77 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $32.50 | −$2.50 | −$27.50 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $10.00 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% | $43.67 | −$16.33 |
| 50% | $54.11 | −$5.89 |
| 75% | $64.56 | +$4.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 64%. 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 | $98.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $75.00 | −$23.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $45.00 | −$53.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $45.00 | −$53.00 | 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 | $75.00 | $45.00 | $98.00 | $45.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $61.95 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $33.23 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $32.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1998 Bowman Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Frank Thomas [Refractor] #240 1998 Bowman Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ouEAAeSwYlpqYrz3/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Refractor] #33 1998 Bowman Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/oI0AAeSwF4FqP9O9/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Orlando Hernandez #221 — FAQ
Is Orlando Hernandez #221 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Orlando Hernandez #221 sells for $75.00 against $10.00 raw: a $65.00 spread, 7.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.23) 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 Orlando Hernandez #221 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Orlando Hernandez #221 (Baseball Cards 1998 Bowman Chrome) sells for about $75.00 versus $10.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.5× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Orlando Hernandez #221?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $98.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $75.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Orlando Hernandez #221 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 Orlando Hernandez #221 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Orlando Hernandez #221 breaks even when it gems about 64% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.23).
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