Is Lionel Messi #68 worth grading?
Soccer · Soccer Cards 2005 Panini Super Barca · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A SGC 10 Lionel Messi #68 sells for $460 against $212 raw: a $248 spread, 2.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($280) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $212
- SGC 10
- $460
- PSA 9
- $280
- Gem premium
- 2.2×
- 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 — SGC 10 | $460 | +$223 | +$198 | +$98.31 |
| PSA 9 | $280 | +$43.31 | +$18.31 | −$81.69 |
| PSA 8 | $238 | +$0.81 | −$24.19 | −$124 |
Net = sale price − $212 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% | $325 | +$63.31 |
| 50% | $370 | +$108 |
| 75% | $415 | +$153 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $460 | best | 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 Lionel Messi #68 — FAQ
Is Lionel Messi #68 worth grading?
A SGC 10 Lionel Messi #68 sells for $460 against $212 raw: a $248 spread, 2.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($280) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What centering does Lionel Messi #68 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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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