Is Curtis Strange #3 worth grading?
Golf · Golf Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 89× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Curtis Strange #3 sells for $223 against $2.51 raw: a $220 spread, 89× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.00) 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)
- $2.51
- PSA 10
- $223
- PSA 9
- $18.00
- Gem premium
- 89×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $223 | +$195 | +$170 | +$70.42 |
| PSA 9 | $18.00 | −$9.51 | −$34.51 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $16.65 | −$10.86 | −$35.86 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $2.51 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% | $69.23 | +$16.72 |
| 50% | $120 | +$67.95 |
| 75% | $172 | +$119 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $290 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $223 | −$67.07 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $134 | −$156 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $134 | −$156 | 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 | $223 | $134 | $290 | $134 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $71.90 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $18.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $16.65 |
Run your own numbers
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Other 1981 Donruss cards worth checking
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Grading Curtis Strange #3 — FAQ
Is Curtis Strange #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Curtis Strange #3 sells for $223 against $2.51 raw: a $220 spread, 89× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.00) 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 Curtis Strange #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Curtis Strange #3 (Golf Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $223 versus $2.51 for a raw near-mint copy — a 89× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Curtis Strange #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $290, ahead of PSA 10 at $223. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Curtis Strange #3 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 Curtis Strange #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Curtis Strange #3 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.00).
Is your golf 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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