Is Jim Thome [Pattern 30] #20B worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Topps Tek Gold · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Jim Thome [Pattern 30] #20B sell for $32.00, only $0.00 above the $49.92 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($29.28) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $49.92
- Grade 9.5
- $32.00
- PSA 9
- $29.28
- Gem premium
- 0.6×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $32.00 | −$42.92 | −$67.92 | −$168 |
| PSA 9 | $29.28 | −$45.64 | −$70.64 | −$171 |
Net = sale price − $49.92 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% | $29.96 | −$69.96 |
| 50% | $30.64 | −$69.28 |
| 75% | $31.32 | −$68.60 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Jim Thome [Pattern 30] #20B — FAQ
Is Jim Thome [Pattern 30] #20B worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Jim Thome [Pattern 30] #20B sell for $32.00, only $0.00 above the $49.92 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($29.28) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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