Is Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Update · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 sells for $429 against $106 raw: a $322 spread, 4.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($275) 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): $106
PSA 10: $429
PSA 9: $275
Gem premium: 4.0×
As of: Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Paul Skenes [Black] #US288: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$429	+$297	+$272	+$172
PSA 9	$275	+$144	+$119	+$18.69
PSA 8	$250	+$119	+$93.68	−$6.32

Net = sale price − $106 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?

Paul Skenes [Black] #US288: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$313	+$157
50%	$352	+$196
75%	$390	+$234

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

Paul Skenes [Black] #US288: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$557	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$429	−$128	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$257	−$300	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$257	−$300	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.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$429	$257	$557	$257	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$317
9	—	—	—	—	$275
8	—	—	—	—	$250
7	—	—	—	—	$76.00

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 2024 Topps Update cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Yoshinobu Yamamoto [Gold Rainbow Foil] #US149

Raw $29.40PSA 10 $218

Paul Skenes [Gold] #US100

Raw $118PSA 10 $762

Paul Skenes [Purple Foilboard] #US100

Raw $51.70PSA 10 $228

Paul Skenes [Gold] #US288

Raw $51.12PSA 10 $218

Josh Gibson [Golden Mirror Image Variation] #US191

Raw $150PSA 10 $545

Wyatt Langford [Golden Mirror Image Variation] #US151

Raw $285PSA 10 $1,008

Grading Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 — FAQ

Is Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 (Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Update) sells for about $429 versus $106 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.0× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Paul Skenes [Black] #US288?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $557, ahead of PSA 10 at $429. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Paul Skenes [Black] #US288 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.

Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?

Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.

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