Is Frank Thomas #4 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1991 Score Hot Rookies · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A SGC 10 Frank Thomas #4 sells for $203 against $2.20 raw: a $200 spread, 92× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.50) 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)
- $2.20
- SGC 10
- $203
- PSA 9
- $42.50
- Gem premium
- 92×
- 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 | $203 | +$175 | +$150 | +$50.30 |
| PSA 9 | $42.50 | +$15.30 | −$9.70 | −$110 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$17.21 | −$42.21 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.20 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% | $82.50 | +$30.30 |
| 50% | $123 | +$70.30 |
| 75% | $163 | +$110 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $203 | 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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Raw conditions & history →Run your own numbers
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Other 1991 Score Hot Rookies cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Frank Thomas #4 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #4 worth grading?
A SGC 10 Frank Thomas #4 sells for $203 against $2.20 raw: a $200 spread, 92× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.50) 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 Frank Thomas #4 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.
What gem rate makes grading Frank Thomas #4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Frank Thomas #4 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.50).
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