![Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 (Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8FsAAeSwy0lqoCLv/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 sells for $349 against $83.50 raw: a $266 spread, 4.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($90.00) 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)
- $83.50
- PSA 10
- $349
- PSA 9
- $90.00
- Gem premium
- 4.2×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $349 | +$241 | +$216 | +$116 |
| PSA 9 | $90.00 | −$18.50 | −$43.50 | −$144 |
| PSA 8 | $70.84 | −$37.66 | −$62.66 | −$163 |
Net = sale price − $83.50 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% | $155 | +$21.25 |
| 50% | $220 | +$86.00 |
| 75% | $284 | +$151 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $454 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $349 | −$105 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $209 | −$245 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $209 | −$245 | 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 Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 sells for $349 against $83.50 raw: a $266 spread, 4.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($90.00) 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 Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 (Baseball Cards 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary) sells for about $349 versus $83.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.2× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $454, ahead of PSA 10 at $349. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 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 Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey Jr. [Aqua Wave Refractor] #493 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $90.00).
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