Is Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Stars · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 30× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 sells for $122 against $4.00 raw: a $118 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.20) 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)
- $4.00
- PSA 10
- $122
- PSA 9
- $26.20
- Gem premium
- 30×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $122 | +$92.50 | +$67.50 | −$32.50 |
| PSA 9 | $26.20 | −$2.80 | −$27.80 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $13.08 | −$15.92 | −$40.92 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $4.00 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% | $50.02 | −$3.98 |
| 50% | $73.85 | +$19.85 |
| 75% | $97.67 | +$43.67 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 29%. 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 | $158 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $122 | −$36.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $73.00 | −$85.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $73.00 | −$85.00 | 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 Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 — FAQ
Is Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 sells for $122 against $4.00 raw: a $118 spread, 30× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.20) 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 Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 (Baseball Cards 1998 Topps Stars) sells for about $122 versus $4.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 30× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $158, ahead of PSA 10 at $122. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 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 Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nomar Garciaparra [Gold] #125 breaks even when it gems about 29% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.20).
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