Is Roy Howell #254 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1980 Topps O-Pee-Chee · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 117× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Roy Howell #254 sells for $98.28 against $0.84 raw: a $97.44 spread, 117× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.56) 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)
- $0.84
- PSA 10
- $98.28
- PSA 9
- $20.56
- Gem premium
- 117×
- 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 | $98.28 | +$72.44 | +$47.44 | −$52.56 |
| PSA 9 | $20.56 | −$5.28 | −$30.28 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $9.36 | −$16.48 | −$41.48 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $0.84 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% | $39.99 | −$10.85 |
| 50% | $59.42 | +$8.58 |
| 75% | $78.85 | +$28.01 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 39%. 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 | $128 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $98.28 | −$29.72 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $59.00 | −$69.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $59.00 | −$69.00 | 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 Roy Howell #254 — FAQ
Is Roy Howell #254 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Roy Howell #254 sells for $98.28 against $0.84 raw: a $97.44 spread, 117× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.56) 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 Roy Howell #254 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Roy Howell #254 (Baseball Cards 1980 Topps O-Pee-Chee) sells for about $98.28 versus $0.84 for a raw near-mint copy — a 117× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Roy Howell #254?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $128, ahead of PSA 10 at $98.28. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Roy Howell #254 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 Roy Howell #254 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Roy Howell #254 breaks even when it gems about 39% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.56).
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