Is Joe Niekro worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game Autographs · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Joe Niekro sells for $188 against $7.41 raw: a $181 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($38.41) 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)
- $7.41
- PSA 10
- $188
- PSA 9
- $38.41
- Gem premium
- 25×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $188 | +$156 | +$131 | +$30.79 |
| PSA 9 | $38.41 | +$6.00 | −$19.00 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $19.37 | −$13.04 | −$38.04 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $7.41 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% | $75.86 | +$18.45 |
| 50% | $113 | +$55.89 |
| 75% | $151 | +$93.34 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $245 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $188 | −$56.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $113 | −$132 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $113 | −$132 | 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.
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Grading Joe Niekro — FAQ
Is Joe Niekro worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Niekro sells for $188 against $7.41 raw: a $181 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($38.41) 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 Joe Niekro worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Niekro (Baseball Cards 1999 Sports Illustrated Greats of the Game Autographs) sells for about $188 versus $7.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Niekro?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $245, ahead of PSA 10 at $188. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Niekro 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 Joe Niekro break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Niekro breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $38.41).
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