Is Steve Garvey #45 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Archives Reserve · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 24× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Garvey #45 sells for $78.57 against $3.25 raw: a $75.32 spread, 24× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.38) 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)
- $3.25
- PSA 10
- $78.57
- PSA 9
- $19.38
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 | $78.57 | +$50.32 | +$25.32 | −$74.68 |
| PSA 9 | $19.38 | −$8.87 | −$33.87 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $10.06 | −$18.19 | −$43.19 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $3.25 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% | $34.18 | −$19.07 |
| 50% | $48.97 | −$4.28 |
| 75% | $63.77 | +$10.52 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 57%. 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 | $102 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $78.57 | −$23.43 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $47.00 | −$55.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $47.00 | −$55.00 | 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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Full set checklist →Grading Steve Garvey #45 — FAQ
Is Steve Garvey #45 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Garvey #45 sells for $78.57 against $3.25 raw: a $75.32 spread, 24× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.38) 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 Steve Garvey #45 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Garvey #45 (Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Archives Reserve) sells for about $78.57 versus $3.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 24× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Garvey #45?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $102, ahead of PSA 10 at $78.57. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Garvey #45 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 Steve Garvey #45 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Garvey #45 breaks even when it gems about 57% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.38).
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