Is Paul Skenes #USCS288 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Chrome Sapphire Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.6× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #USCS288 sells for $202 against $55.99 raw: a $146 spread, 3.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($68.17) 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)
- $55.99
- PSA 10
- $202
- PSA 9
- $68.17
- Gem premium
- 3.6×
- 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 | $202 | +$121 | +$95.70 | −$4.30 |
| PSA 9 | $68.17 | −$12.82 | −$37.82 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $27.00 | −$53.99 | −$78.99 | −$179 |
Net = sale price − $55.99 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?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $102 | −$4.44 |
| 50% | $135 | +$28.94 |
| 75% | $168 | +$62.32 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $262 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $202 | −$60.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $121 | −$141 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $99.00 | −$163 | 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 Paul Skenes #USCS288 — FAQ
Is Paul Skenes #USCS288 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #USCS288 sells for $202 against $55.99 raw: a $146 spread, 3.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($68.17) 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 #USCS288 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Paul Skenes #USCS288 (Baseball Cards 2024 Topps Chrome Sapphire Update) sells for about $202 versus $55.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.6× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Paul Skenes #USCS288?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $262, ahead of PSA 10 at $202. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Paul Skenes #USCS288 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 #USCS288 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Paul Skenes #USCS288 breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $68.17).
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