![Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 (Baseball Cards 1989 Fleer) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/aXgAAeSwAY9qXqTU/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Fleer · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 sells for $131 against $3.17 raw: a $128 spread, 41× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.12) 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)
- $3.17
- PSA 10
- $131
- PSA 9
- $33.12
- Gem premium
- 41×
- 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 | $131 | +$103 | +$77.76 | −$22.24 |
| PSA 9 | $33.12 | +$4.95 | −$20.05 | −$120 |
| PSA 8 | $22.05 | −$6.12 | −$31.12 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $3.17 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% | $57.57 | +$4.40 |
| 50% | $82.03 | +$28.86 |
| 75% | $106 | +$53.31 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $170 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $131 | −$39.07 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $79.00 | −$91.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $47.50 | −$123 | 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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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1989 Fleer cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Bill Ripken [Black Scribble on Knob] #616 1989 Fleer card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/8pMAAeSwYu9qype2/s-l500.jpg)
![Bill Ripken [Black Scribble Over Error] #616 1989 Fleer card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/G9wAAeSwe35qwXsF/s-l500.jpg)
![Randy Johnson [Marlboro Ad on Scoreboard] #381 1989 Fleer card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zDoAAeSwffpqtAgj/s-l500.jpg)
![Bill Ripken [FF Error] #616 1989 Fleer card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/q2cAAeSwOCtqg5Sc/s-l500.jpg)
![Ken Griffey Jr. [Autograph] #548 1989 Fleer card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/T3cAAeSwTctqsD7Z/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 — FAQ
Is Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 sells for $131 against $3.17 raw: a $128 spread, 41× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.12) 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 Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 (Baseball Cards 1989 Fleer) sells for about $131 versus $3.17 for a raw near-mint copy — a 41× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $170, ahead of PSA 10 at $131. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 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 Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bill Ripken [Black Box On Bat Knob] #616 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.12).
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