Is Babe Ruth #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Project 70 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Babe Ruth #3 sell for $33.63, only $15.45 above the $18.18 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($20.59) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $18.18
- PSA 10
- $33.63
- PSA 9
- $20.59
- Gem premium
- 1.8×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $33.63 | −$9.55 | −$34.55 | −$135 |
| PSA 9 | $20.59 | −$22.59 | −$47.59 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $10.52 | −$32.66 | −$57.66 | −$158 |
Net = sale price − $18.18 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% | $23.85 | −$44.33 |
| 50% | $27.11 | −$41.07 |
| 75% | $30.37 | −$37.81 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $44.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $33.63 | −$10.37 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $20.00 | −$24.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $20.00 | −$24.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Babe Ruth #3 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #3 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Babe Ruth #3 sell for $33.63, only $15.45 above the $18.18 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($20.59) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Babe Ruth #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #3 (Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Project 70) sells for about $33.63 versus $18.18 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.8× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $44.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $33.63. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #3 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.
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