Is Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2012 Topps Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 26× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 sells for $77.99 against $3.00 raw: a $74.99 spread, 26× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.00) 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)
- $3.00
- PSA 10
- $77.99
- PSA 9
- $21.00
- Gem premium
- 26×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $77.99 | +$49.99 | +$24.99 | −$75.01 |
| PSA 9 | $21.00 | −$7.00 | −$32.00 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $3.00 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% | $35.25 | −$17.75 |
| 50% | $49.49 | −$3.51 |
| 75% | $63.74 | +$10.74 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $101 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $77.99 | −$23.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $47.00 | −$54.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $47.00 | −$54.00 | 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.
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Grading Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 — FAQ
Is Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 sells for $77.99 against $3.00 raw: a $74.99 spread, 26× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.00) 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 Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 (Baseball Cards 2012 Topps Update) sells for about $77.99 versus $3.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 26× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $101, ahead of PSA 10 at $77.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 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 Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Kelly [Gold] #US242 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.00).
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