Is The Empire Strikes Back #71 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 1993 Topps Galaxy · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 137× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 The Empire Strikes Back #71 sells for $356 against $2.60 raw: a $353 spread, 137× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.74) 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)
- $2.60
- PSA 10
- $356
- PSA 9
- $23.74
- Gem premium
- 137×
- As of
- Oct 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 | $356 | +$328 | +$303 | +$203 |
| PSA 9 | $23.74 | −$3.86 | −$28.86 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $2.60 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% | $107 | +$54.21 |
| 50% | $190 | +$137 |
| 75% | $273 | +$220 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $463 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $356 | −$107 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $214 | −$249 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $214 | −$249 | 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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Grading The Empire Strikes Back #71 — FAQ
Is The Empire Strikes Back #71 worth grading?
A PSA 10 The Empire Strikes Back #71 sells for $356 against $2.60 raw: a $353 spread, 137× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.74) 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 The Empire Strikes Back #71 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 The Empire Strikes Back #71 (Star Wars 1993 Topps Galaxy) sells for about $356 versus $2.60 for a raw near-mint copy — a 137× premium as of Oct 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for The Empire Strikes Back #71?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $463, ahead of PSA 10 at $356. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does The Empire Strikes Back #71 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 The Empire Strikes Back #71 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting The Empire Strikes Back #71 breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.74).
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