Is Tom Seaver [1978] #26 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2001 Topps Through the Years · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Tom Seaver [1978] #26 sell for $28.42, only $8.43 above the $19.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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)
- $19.99
- PSA 10
- $28.42
- PSA 9
- $19.99
- Gem premium
- 1.4×
- 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 | $28.42 | −$16.57 | −$41.57 | −$142 |
| PSA 9 | $19.99 | −$25.00 | −$50.00 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $19.99 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% | $22.10 | −$47.89 |
| 50% | $24.20 | −$45.78 |
| 75% | $26.31 | −$43.68 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $37.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $28.42 | −$8.58 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $17.00 | −$20.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $17.00 | −$20.00 | 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.
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Tom Seaver [1978] #26 — FAQ
Is Tom Seaver [1978] #26 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Tom Seaver [1978] #26 sell for $28.42, only $8.43 above the $19.99 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.99) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Tom Seaver [1978] #26 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Seaver [1978] #26 (Baseball Cards 2001 Topps Through the Years) sells for about $28.42 versus $19.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.4× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Seaver [1978] #26?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $37.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $28.42. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Seaver [1978] #26 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.
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