Is Ken Griffey Jr #579 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1996 Ultra Gold Medallion · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr #579 sells for $8,609 against $41.42 raw: a $8,568 spread, 208× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.67) 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)
- $41.42
- PSA 10
- $8,609
- PSA 9
- $67.67
- Gem premium
- 208×
- 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 | $8,609 | +$8,543 | +$8,518 | +$8,418 |
| PSA 9 | $67.67 | +$1.25 | −$23.75 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $37.48 | −$28.94 | −$53.94 | −$154 |
Net = sale price − $41.42 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% | $2,203 | +$2,112 |
| 50% | $4,338 | +$4,247 |
| 75% | $6,474 | +$6,382 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $11,192 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $8,609 | −$2,583 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $5,165 | −$6,027 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $5,165 | −$6,027 | 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 #579 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey Jr #579 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr #579 sells for $8,609 against $41.42 raw: a $8,568 spread, 208× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.67) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr #579 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey Jr #579 (Baseball Cards 1996 Ultra Gold Medallion) sells for about $8,609 versus $41.42 for a raw near-mint copy — a 208× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey Jr #579?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $11,192, ahead of PSA 10 at $8,609. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey Jr #579 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 #579 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey Jr #579 breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $67.67).
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