Is Ichiro #181 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2001 Upper Deck Reserve · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ichiro #181 sells for $316 against $33.98 raw: a $282 spread, 9.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.88) 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)
- $33.98
- PSA 10
- $316
- PSA 9
- $72.88
- Gem premium
- 9.3×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $316 | +$257 | +$232 | +$132 |
| PSA 9 | $72.88 | +$13.90 | −$11.10 | −$111 |
| PSA 8 | $50.00 | −$8.98 | −$33.98 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $33.98 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% | $134 | +$49.61 |
| 50% | $194 | +$110 |
| 75% | $255 | +$171 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $410 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $316 | −$94.28 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $189 | −$221 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $189 | −$221 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $316 | $189 | $410 | $189 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $136 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $72.88 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $50.00 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2001 Upper Deck Reserve cards worth checking
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Grading Ichiro #181 — FAQ
Is Ichiro #181 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ichiro #181 sells for $316 against $33.98 raw: a $282 spread, 9.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($72.88) 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 Ichiro #181 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ichiro #181 (Baseball Cards 2001 Upper Deck Reserve) sells for about $316 versus $33.98 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.3× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ichiro #181?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $410, ahead of PSA 10 at $316. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ichiro #181 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 Ichiro #181 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ichiro #181 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $72.88).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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