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Is Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 2023 Panini Illusions Mystique Autograph · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 sells for $107 against $41.99 raw: a $65.01 spread, 2.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($89.38) 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)
$41.99
PSA 10
$107
PSA 9
$89.38
Gem premium
2.5×
As of
Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$107+$40.01+$15.01−$84.99
PSA 9$89.38+$22.39−$2.61−$103

Net = sale price − $41.99 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?

Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$93.78+$1.79
50%$98.19+$6.20
75%$103+$10.60

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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
Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$139best55/4570/30
SGC 10$119−$20.0055/4575/25
PSA 10$107−$32.0055/4575/25
CGC 10$64.00−$75.0055/4575/25

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.

Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$107$64.00$139$119
9.5$98.00
9$89.38

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

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Other 2023 Panini Illusions Mystique Autograph cards worth checking

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Grading Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 — FAQ

Is Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 sells for $107 against $41.99 raw: a $65.01 spread, 2.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($89.38) 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 Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 (Football Cards 2023 Panini Illusions Mystique Autograph) sells for about $107 versus $41.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.5× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $139, ahead of SGC 10 at $119. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 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 Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sam LaPorta [Light Blue] #31 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $89.38).

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