Is Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2022 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 sell for $80.00, only $0.00 above the $99.77 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($45.31) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $99.77
- PSA 10
- $80.00
- PSA 9
- $45.31
- Gem premium
- 0.8×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $80.00 | −$44.77 | −$69.77 | −$170 |
| PSA 9 | $45.31 | −$79.46 | −$104 | −$204 |
| PSA 8 | $38.85 | −$85.92 | −$111 | −$211 |
Net = sale price − $99.77 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% | $53.98 | −$95.79 |
| 50% | $62.66 | −$87.11 |
| 75% | $71.33 | −$78.44 |
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 | $104 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $80.00 | −$24.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $74.00 | −$30.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 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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Other 2022 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 — FAQ
Is Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 sell for $80.00, only $0.00 above the $99.77 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($45.31) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 (Baseball Cards 2022 Topps Chrome) sells for about $80.00 versus $99.77 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.8× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $104, ahead of PSA 10 at $80.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shohei Ohtani [Aqua Lava] #1 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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