Is Paul Skenes #229 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Pristine · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #229 sells for $91.59 against $16.00 raw: a $75.59 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.51) 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)
- $16.00
- PSA 10
- $91.59
- PSA 9
- $21.51
- Gem premium
- 5.7×
- 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 | $91.59 | +$50.59 | +$25.59 | −$74.41 |
| PSA 9 | $21.51 | −$19.49 | −$44.49 | −$144 |
| PSA 8 | $20.50 | −$20.50 | −$45.50 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $16.00 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% | $39.03 | −$26.97 |
| 50% | $56.55 | −$9.45 |
| 75% | $74.07 | +$8.07 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 63%. 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 | $119 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $91.59 | −$27.41 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $55.00 | −$64.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $49.99 | −$69.01 | 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 2024 Topps Pristine cards worth checking
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![Ken Griffey Jr. [Orange Refractor] #230 2024 Topps Pristine card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/d0AAAeSwicVqiMaK/s-l500.jpg)
![Shohei Ohtani [Purple Refractor] #293 2024 Topps Pristine card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UGYAAeSwtjZqvFTC/s-l500.jpg)
![Paul Skenes [Pristine Gold] #229 2024 Topps Pristine card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2~IAAeSwmnZpNhs-/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Paul Skenes #229 — FAQ
Is Paul Skenes #229 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #229 sells for $91.59 against $16.00 raw: a $75.59 spread, 5.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.51) 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 Paul Skenes #229 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #229 (Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Pristine) sells for about $91.59 versus $16.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.7× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Paul Skenes #229?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $119, ahead of PSA 10 at $91.59. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Paul Skenes #229 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 Paul Skenes #229 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Paul Skenes #229 breaks even when it gems about 63% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.51).
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