Is Ken Griffey Jr. #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Ovation · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. #1 sells for $152 against $3.00 raw: a $149 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.00) 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)
- $3.00
- PSA 10
- $152
- PSA 9
- $35.00
- Gem premium
- 51×
- 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 | $152 | +$124 | +$99.49 | −$0.51 |
| PSA 9 | $35.00 | +$7.00 | −$18.00 | −$118 |
| PSA 8 | $17.27 | −$10.73 | −$35.73 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $3.00 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% | $64.37 | +$11.37 |
| 50% | $93.75 | +$40.75 |
| 75% | $123 | +$70.12 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $198 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $152 | −$45.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $91.00 | −$107 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $91.00 | −$107 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 Upper Deck Ovation cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Ken Griffey Jr. [Standing Ovation] #1 1999 Upper Deck Ovation card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zIoAAeSwUg1p2ooC/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Ken Griffey Jr. #1 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey Jr. #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. #1 sells for $152 against $3.00 raw: a $149 spread, 51× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.00) 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 Ken Griffey Jr. #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. #1 (Baseball Cards 1999 Upper Deck Ovation) sells for about $152 versus $3.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 51× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey Jr. #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $198, ahead of PSA 10 at $152. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey Jr. #1 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 Ken Griffey Jr. #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey Jr. #1 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.00).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
