![Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 (Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Heritage) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/780AAeSwLQ5qQBJo/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Heritage · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 sell for $44.00, only $19.70 above the $24.30 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($37.01) 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)
- $24.30
- PSA 10
- $44.00
- PSA 9
- $37.01
- Gem premium
- 1.8×
- 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 | $44.00 | −$5.30 | −$30.30 | −$130 |
| PSA 9 | $37.01 | −$12.29 | −$37.29 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $15.64 | −$33.66 | −$58.66 | −$159 |
Net = sale price − $24.30 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% | $38.76 | −$35.54 |
| 50% | $40.50 | −$33.80 |
| 75% | $42.25 | −$32.05 |
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 | $57.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $44.00 | −$13.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $26.00 | −$31.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $26.00 | −$31.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2021 Topps Heritage cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Mike Trout [Mini] #169 2021 Topps Heritage card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/puAAAOSwK6NoKKpD/s-l500.jpg)
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![Paul Goldschmidt [Throwback] #103 2021 Topps Heritage card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/byMAAOSwq3Rn3hd1/s-l500.jpg)
![Bryce Harper [Throwback] #13 2021 Topps Heritage card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/31IAAOSwOTliUlFt/s-l500.jpg)
![Casey Mize / Tarik Skubal [Chrome Black Refractor] #253 2021 Topps Heritage card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VzwAAeSwoUJqd-jJ/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 — FAQ
Is Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 sell for $44.00, only $19.70 above the $24.30 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($37.01) 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 Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 (Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Heritage) sells for about $44.00 versus $24.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.8× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $57.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $44.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mike Trout [Color Swap] #169 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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