Is Merrill Kelly #87 worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 4.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Merrill Kelly #87 sells for $99.89 against $22.13 raw: a $77.76 spread, 4.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.70) 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)
- $22.13
- PSA 10
- $99.89
- PSA 9
- $40.70
- Gem premium
- 4.5×
- 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 | $99.89 | +$52.76 | +$27.76 | −$72.24 |
| PSA 9 | $40.70 | −$6.43 | −$31.43 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $24.27 | −$22.86 | −$47.86 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $22.13 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% | $55.50 | −$16.63 |
| 50% | $70.30 | −$1.83 |
| 75% | $85.09 | +$12.96 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 53%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.89 | −$30.11 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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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Grading Merrill Kelly #87 — FAQ
Is Merrill Kelly #87 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Merrill Kelly #87 sells for $99.89 against $22.13 raw: a $77.76 spread, 4.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($40.70) 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 Merrill Kelly #87 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Merrill Kelly #87 (Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Heritage Mini) sells for about $99.89 versus $22.13 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.5× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Merrill Kelly #87?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $99.89. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Merrill Kelly #87 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 Merrill Kelly #87 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Merrill Kelly #87 breaks even when it gems about 53% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $40.70).
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