Is Paul Skenes #BG-17 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Update Black Gold · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.2× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #BG-17 sells for $110 against $13.50 raw: a $96.76 spread, 8.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.00) 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)
- $13.50
- PSA 10
- $110
- PSA 9
- $31.00
- Gem premium
- 8.2×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $110 | +$71.76 | +$46.76 | −$53.24 |
| PSA 9 | $31.00 | −$7.50 | −$32.50 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $26.00 | −$12.50 | −$37.50 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $13.50 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% | $50.81 | −$12.69 |
| 50% | $70.63 | +$7.13 |
| 75% | $90.45 | +$26.95 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $143 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $110 | −$32.74 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $39.75 | −$103 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $30.00 | −$113 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $110 | $30.00 | $143 | $39.75 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $35.99 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $31.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $26.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2024 Topps Update Black Gold cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Mike Trout [Black] #BG-2 2024 Topps Update Black Gold card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/d8AAAeSwlYhqZzg2/s-l500.jpg)
![Wyatt Langford [Black] #BG-10 2024 Topps Update Black Gold card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/r20AAeSwc91peq69/s-l500.jpg)
![Yoshinobu Yamamoto [Black] #BG-13 2024 Topps Update Black Gold card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TCsAAeSwGjJqVAoU/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Paul Skenes #BG-17 — FAQ
Is Paul Skenes #BG-17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #BG-17 sells for $110 against $13.50 raw: a $96.76 spread, 8.2× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($31.00) 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 #BG-17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #BG-17 (Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Update Black Gold) sells for about $110 versus $13.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.2× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Paul Skenes #BG-17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $143, ahead of PSA 10 at $110. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Paul Skenes #BG-17 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 #BG-17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Paul Skenes #BG-17 breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.00).
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.
Check my card free