Is Frank Thomas #SQ17 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 UD Choice Starquest · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #SQ17 sells for $60.00 against $2.33 raw: a $57.67 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.72) 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)
- $2.33
- PSA 10
- $60.00
- PSA 9
- $49.72
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $60.00 | +$32.67 | +$7.67 | −$92.33 |
| PSA 9 | $49.72 | +$22.39 | −$2.61 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $4.14 | −$23.19 | −$48.19 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $2.33 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% | $52.29 | −$0.04 |
| 50% | $54.86 | +$2.53 |
| 75% | $57.43 | +$5.10 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $78.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $60.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1999 UD Choice Starquest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Ken Griffey Jr. [Blue] #SQ1 1999 UD Choice Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/0XIAAeSwAetqsH4M/s-l500.jpg)
![Frank Thomas [Blue] #SQ17 1999 UD Choice Starquest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qBoAAOSwzblgWkS6/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Frank Thomas #SQ17 — FAQ
Is Frank Thomas #SQ17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #SQ17 sells for $60.00 against $2.33 raw: a $57.67 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.72) 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 Frank Thomas #SQ17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Frank Thomas #SQ17 (Baseball Cards 1999 UD Choice Starquest) sells for about $60.00 versus $2.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 26× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Frank Thomas #SQ17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $78.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $60.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Frank Thomas #SQ17 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 Frank Thomas #SQ17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Frank Thomas #SQ17 breaks even when it gems about 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.72).
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