Is Toothie RUTHIE #203a worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 43× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Toothie RUTHIE #203a sells for $63.99 against $1.49 raw: a $62.50 spread, 43× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $63.99
- PSA 9
- $15.00
- Gem premium
- 43×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $63.99 | +$37.50 | +$12.50 | −$87.50 |
| PSA 9 | $15.00 | −$11.49 | −$36.49 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $13.43 | −$13.06 | −$38.06 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $27.25 | −$24.24 |
| 50% | $39.50 | −$11.99 |
| 75% | $51.74 | +$0.25 |
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 | $83.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $63.99 | −$19.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $38.00 | −$45.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $38.00 | −$45.00 | 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 | $63.99 | $38.00 | $83.00 | $38.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $17.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $15.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $13.43 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1986 Garbage Pail Kids cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Toothie RUTHIE #203a — FAQ
Is Toothie RUTHIE #203a worth grading?
A PSA 10 Toothie RUTHIE #203a sells for $63.99 against $1.49 raw: a $62.50 spread, 43× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) 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 Toothie RUTHIE #203a worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Toothie RUTHIE #203a (1986 Garbage Pail Kids) sells for about $63.99 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 43× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Toothie RUTHIE #203a?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $83.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $63.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Toothie RUTHIE #203a 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 Toothie RUTHIE #203a break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Toothie RUTHIE #203a breaks even when it gems about 74% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.00).
Is your Garbage Pail Kids 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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