Is Babe Ruth #US154 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2011 Topps Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 10× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #US154 sells for $85.00 against $8.48 raw: a $76.52 spread, 10× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.50) 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)
- $8.48
- PSA 10
- $85.00
- PSA 9
- $12.50
- Gem premium
- 10×
- 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 | $85.00 | +$51.52 | +$26.52 | −$73.48 |
| PSA 9 | $12.50 | −$20.98 | −$45.98 | −$146 |
| PSA 8 | $12.16 | −$21.32 | −$46.32 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $8.48 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% | $30.63 | −$27.86 |
| 50% | $48.75 | −$9.73 |
| 75% | $66.88 | +$8.39 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 63%. 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 | $111 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $85.00 | −$26.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $51.00 | −$60.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $51.00 | −$60.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $85.00 | $51.00 | $111 | $51.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $33.12 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $12.16 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Babe Ruth #US154 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #US154 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #US154 sells for $85.00 against $8.48 raw: a $76.52 spread, 10× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.50) 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 Babe Ruth #US154 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #US154 (Baseball Cards 2011 Topps Update) sells for about $85.00 versus $8.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 10× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #US154?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $111, ahead of PSA 10 at $85.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #US154 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 Babe Ruth #US154 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Babe Ruth #US154 breaks even when it gems about 63% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.50).
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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