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Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 (Basketball Cards 1977 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1977 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 sells for $172 against $1.52 raw: a $171 spread, 113× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.86) 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)
$1.52
PSA 10
$172
PSA 9
$31.86
Gem premium
113×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Lou Hudson [White Back] #85: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$172+$146+$121+$20.89
PSA 9$31.86+$5.34−$19.66−$120
PSA 8$13.90−$12.62−$37.62−$138

Net = sale price − $1.52 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?

Lou Hudson [White Back] #85: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$67.00+$15.48
50%$102+$50.61
75%$137+$85.75

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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
Lou Hudson [White Back] #85: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$224best55/4570/30
PSA 10$172−$51.5955/4575/25
CGC 10$103−$12155/4575/25
SGC 10$103−$12155/4575/25

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.

Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$172$103$224$103
9.5$58.38
9$31.86
8$13.90

Run your own numbers

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Grading Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 — FAQ

Is Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 sells for $172 against $1.52 raw: a $171 spread, 113× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.86) 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 Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 (Basketball Cards 1977 Topps) sells for about $172 versus $1.52 for a raw near-mint copy — a 113× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Lou Hudson [White Back] #85?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $224, ahead of PSA 10 at $172. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 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 Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lou Hudson [White Back] #85 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.86).

Is your basketball 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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