Is Max Scherzer #KZ-21 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2025 Topps K Zone Die-Cut · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Max Scherzer #KZ-21 sells for $114 against $21.50 raw: a $92.76 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.58) 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)
- $21.50
- PSA 10
- $114
- PSA 9
- $41.58
- Gem premium
- 5.3×
- 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 | $114 | +$67.76 | +$42.76 | −$57.24 |
| PSA 9 | $41.58 | −$4.92 | −$29.92 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $23.72 | −$22.78 | −$47.78 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $21.50 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% | $59.75 | −$11.75 |
| 50% | $77.92 | +$6.42 |
| 75% | $96.09 | +$24.59 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $149 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $114 | −$34.74 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.00 | −$80.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $69.00 | −$80.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $114 | $69.00 | $149 | $69.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $78.94 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $41.58 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $23.72 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Max Scherzer #KZ-21 — FAQ
Is Max Scherzer #KZ-21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Max Scherzer #KZ-21 sells for $114 against $21.50 raw: a $92.76 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.58) 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 Max Scherzer #KZ-21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Max Scherzer #KZ-21 (Baseball Cards 2025 Topps K Zone Die-Cut) sells for about $114 versus $21.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.3× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Max Scherzer #KZ-21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $149, ahead of PSA 10 at $114. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Max Scherzer #KZ-21 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 Max Scherzer #KZ-21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Max Scherzer #KZ-21 breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $41.58).
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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