Is Babe Ruth #1 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2010 Topps Tribute · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 12× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #1 sells for $69.77 against $5.89 raw: a $63.88 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.02) 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)
- $5.89
- PSA 10
- $69.77
- PSA 9
- $18.02
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $69.77 | +$38.88 | +$13.88 | −$86.12 |
| PSA 9 | $18.02 | −$12.87 | −$37.87 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $9.45 | −$21.44 | −$46.44 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $5.89 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% | $30.96 | −$24.93 |
| 50% | $43.89 | −$12.00 |
| 75% | $56.83 | +$0.94 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 73%. 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 | $91.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $69.77 | −$21.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 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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Other 2010 Topps Tribute cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Babe Ruth #1 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #1 sells for $69.77 against $5.89 raw: a $63.88 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.02) 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 Babe Ruth #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #1 (Baseball Cards 2010 Topps Tribute) sells for about $69.77 versus $5.89 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $91.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $69.77. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #1 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 Babe Ruth #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Babe Ruth #1 breaks even when it gems about 73% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.02).
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