![Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KmoAAeSw5v1oebaZ/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 sells for $943 against $125 raw: a $818 spread, 7.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($136) 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)
- $125
- PSA 10
- $943
- PSA 9
- $136
- 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 | $943 | +$793 | +$768 | +$668 |
| PSA 9 | $136 | −$14.24 | −$39.24 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $81.00 | −$69.00 | −$94.00 | −$194 |
Net = sale price − $125 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% | $338 | +$163 |
| 50% | $540 | +$365 |
| 75% | $741 | +$566 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $1,226 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $943 | −$283 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $566 | −$660 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $566 | −$660 | 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 | $943 | $566 | $1,226 | $566 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $149 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $136 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $81.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $65.00 |
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 Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 — FAQ
Is Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 sells for $943 against $125 raw: a $818 spread, 7.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($136) 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 Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Chrome) sells for about $943 versus $125 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.5× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,226, ahead of PSA 10 at $943. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 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 Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Greg Maddux [Refractor] #296 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $136).
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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