Is Al Kaline #42 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2001 Upper Deck Hall of Famers · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Al Kaline #42 sell for $21.99, only $20.16 above the $1.83 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.94) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.83
- PSA 10
- $21.99
- PSA 9
- $15.94
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $21.99 | −$4.84 | −$29.84 | −$130 |
| PSA 9 | $15.94 | −$10.89 | −$35.89 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $8.13 | −$18.70 | −$43.70 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.83 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% | $17.45 | −$34.38 |
| 50% | $18.96 | −$32.87 |
| 75% | $20.48 | −$31.35 |
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 | $29.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $21.99 | −$7.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $13.00 | −$16.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $13.00 | −$16.00 | 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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Grading Al Kaline #42 — FAQ
Is Al Kaline #42 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Al Kaline #42 sell for $21.99, only $20.16 above the $1.83 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($15.94) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Al Kaline #42 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Al Kaline #42 (Baseball Cards 2001 Upper Deck Hall of Famers) sells for about $21.99 versus $1.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Al Kaline #42?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $29.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $21.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Al Kaline #42 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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