Is Babe Ruth #HL-26 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2025 Topps Heavy Lumber · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #HL-26 sells for $129 against $61.50 raw: a $67.50 spread, 2.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($108) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $61.50
- PSA 10
- $129
- PSA 9
- $108
- Gem premium
- 2.1×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $129 | +$42.50 | +$17.50 | −$82.50 |
| PSA 9 | $108 | +$21.24 | −$3.76 | −$104 |
| PSA 8 | $85.00 | −$1.50 | −$26.50 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $61.50 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% | $113 | +$1.55 |
| 50% | $118 | +$6.87 |
| 75% | $124 | +$12.19 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 18%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $300 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $168 | −$132 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $129 | −$171 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $77.00 | −$223 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $129 | $77.00 | $168 | $300 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $126 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $108 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $85.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Babe Ruth #HL-26 — FAQ
Is Babe Ruth #HL-26 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #HL-26 sells for $129 against $61.50 raw: a $67.50 spread, 2.1× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($108) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Babe Ruth #HL-26 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Babe Ruth #HL-26 (Baseball Cards 2025 Topps Heavy Lumber) sells for about $129 versus $61.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.1× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Babe Ruth #HL-26?
By resale value, SGC 10 leads at $300, ahead of BGS 10 at $168. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Babe Ruth #HL-26 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 #HL-26 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Babe Ruth #HL-26 breaks even when it gems about 18% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $108).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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