Is Matt Cain #208 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2006 Bowman Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Matt Cain #208 sells for $66.54 against $3.97 raw: a $62.57 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.29) 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)
- $3.97
- PSA 10
- $66.54
- PSA 9
- $18.29
- Gem premium
- 17×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $66.54 | +$37.57 | +$12.57 | −$87.43 |
| PSA 9 | $18.29 | −$10.68 | −$35.68 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $10.00 | −$18.97 | −$43.97 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $3.97 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% | $30.35 | −$23.62 |
| 50% | $42.42 | −$11.55 |
| 75% | $54.48 | +$0.51 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 74%. 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 | $87.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $66.54 | −$20.46 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | −$47.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$47.00 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2006 Bowman Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Andy Pettitte [Blue Refractor] #182 2006 Bowman Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gqcAAOSw9qxmc6L~/s-l500.jpg)
![Justin Verlander [Refractor] #217 2006 Bowman Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/P~sAAeSwq4Fp0myF/s-l500.jpg)
![Matt Cain [Refractor] #208 2006 Bowman Chrome card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hTsAAeSwS~JqWbRP/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Matt Cain #208 — FAQ
Is Matt Cain #208 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Matt Cain #208 sells for $66.54 against $3.97 raw: a $62.57 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.29) 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 Matt Cain #208 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Matt Cain #208 (Baseball Cards 2006 Bowman Chrome) sells for about $66.54 versus $3.97 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Matt Cain #208?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $87.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $66.54. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Matt Cain #208 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 Matt Cain #208 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Matt Cain #208 breaks even when it gems about 74% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.29).
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