Is Al Kaline #23 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2004 Bowman Heritage · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 22× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Al Kaline #23 sells for $66.11 against $2.99 raw: a $63.12 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.47) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.99
- PSA 10
- $66.11
- PSA 9
- $17.47
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $66.11 | +$38.12 | +$13.12 | −$86.88 |
| PSA 9 | $17.47 | −$10.52 | −$35.52 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $4.99 | −$23.00 | −$48.00 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $2.99 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% | $29.63 | −$23.36 |
| 50% | $41.79 | −$11.20 |
| 75% | $53.95 | +$0.96 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 73%. 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 | $86.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $66.11 | −$19.89 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | −$46.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$46.00 | 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 #23 — FAQ
Is Al Kaline #23 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Al Kaline #23 sells for $66.11 against $2.99 raw: a $63.12 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.47) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Al Kaline #23 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Al Kaline #23 (Baseball Cards 2004 Bowman Heritage) sells for about $66.11 versus $2.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Al Kaline #23?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $86.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $66.11. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Al Kaline #23 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 Al Kaline #23 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Al Kaline #23 breaks even when it gems about 73% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.47).
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