Is Dock Ellis #71 worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 6.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dock Ellis #71 sells for $88.87 against $13.26 raw: a $75.61 spread, 6.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($30.62) 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)
- $13.26
- PSA 10
- $88.87
- PSA 9
- $30.62
- Gem premium
- 6.7×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $88.87 | +$50.61 | +$25.61 | −$74.39 |
| PSA 9 | $30.62 | −$7.64 | −$32.64 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $16.90 | −$21.36 | −$46.36 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $13.26 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% | $45.18 | −$18.08 |
| 50% | $59.75 | −$3.51 |
| 75% | $74.31 | +$11.05 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 | $116 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $88.87 | −$27.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $53.00 | −$63.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $53.00 | −$63.00 | 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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Grading Dock Ellis #71 — FAQ
Is Dock Ellis #71 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dock Ellis #71 sells for $88.87 against $13.26 raw: a $75.61 spread, 6.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($30.62) 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 Dock Ellis #71 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dock Ellis #71 (Baseball Cards 2026 Topps Heritage 50th Anniversary Buybacks) sells for about $88.87 versus $13.26 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.7× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dock Ellis #71?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $116, ahead of PSA 10 at $88.87. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dock Ellis #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 Dock Ellis #71 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dock Ellis #71 breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $30.62).
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