Is Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 2011 Topps · full price guide →

Strong grading candidate — 6.5× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 sells for $83.67 against $12.84 raw: a $70.83 spread, 6.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.77) 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): $12.84
PSA 10: $83.67
PSA 9: $27.77
Gem premium: 6.5×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Lou Gehrig [SP] #5: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$83.67	+$45.83	+$20.83	−$79.17
PSA 9	$27.77	−$10.07	−$35.07	−$135
PSA 8	$17.44	−$20.40	−$45.40	−$145

Net = sale price − $12.84 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?

Lou Gehrig [SP] #5: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$41.75	−$21.09
50%	$55.72	−$7.12
75%	$69.69	+$6.85

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 →

Lou Gehrig [SP] #5: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$109	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$83.67	−$25.33	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$50.00	−$59.00	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$50.00	−$59.00	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 →

Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$83.67	$50.00	$109	$50.00	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$43.24
9	—	—	—	—	$27.77
8	—	—	—	—	$17.44

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 2011 Topps cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Freddie Freeman [Black] #145

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Raw $45.69PSA 10 $805

Aroldis Chapman [Gold] #110

Raw $39.00PSA 10 $425

Freddie Freeman [Gold] #145

Raw $195PSA 10 $1,536

Freddie Freeman [Diamond Anniversary] #145

Raw $120PSA 10 $600

Freddie Freeman [Cognac Diamond Anniversary] #145

Raw $128PSA 10 $475

Grading Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 — FAQ

Is Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 (Baseball Cards 2011 Topps) sells for about $83.67 versus $12.84 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.5× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Lou Gehrig [SP] #5?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $83.67. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 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 Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lou Gehrig [SP] #5 breaks even when it gems about 63% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.77).

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