Is Aaron Judge #HL-3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2025 Topps Heavy Lumber · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 Aaron Judge #HL-3 brings $331 versus $161 raw — a $171 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($171) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming.
- Raw (NM)
- $161
- PSA 10
- $331
- PSA 9
- $171
- Gem premium
- 2.1×
- 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 | $331 | +$146 | +$121 | +$20.50 |
| PSA 9 | $171 | −$14.26 | −$39.26 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $121 | −$64.48 | −$89.48 | −$189 |
Net = sale price − $161 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% | $211 | +$0.68 |
| 50% | $251 | +$40.62 |
| 75% | $291 | +$80.56 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $430 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $331 | −$99.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $199 | −$231 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $199 | −$231 | 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 Aaron Judge #HL-3 — FAQ
Is Aaron Judge #HL-3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Aaron Judge #HL-3 brings $331 versus $161 raw — a $171 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($171) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming.
How much is a PSA 10 Aaron Judge #HL-3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Aaron Judge #HL-3 (Baseball Cards 2025 Topps Heavy Lumber) sells for about $331 versus $161 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.1× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Aaron Judge #HL-3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $430, ahead of PSA 10 at $331. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Aaron Judge #HL-3 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 Aaron Judge #HL-3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Aaron Judge #HL-3 breaks even when it gems about 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $171).
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