Is Billy Williams #173 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2016 Topps Archives · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Billy Williams #173 sell for $12.31, only $10.65 above the $1.66 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.68) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.66
- PSA 10
- $12.31
- PSA 9
- $11.68
- Gem premium
- 7.4×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $12.31 | −$14.35 | −$39.35 | −$139 |
| PSA 9 | $11.68 | −$14.98 | −$39.98 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $6.31 | −$20.35 | −$45.35 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.66 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% | $11.84 | −$39.82 |
| 50% | $12.00 | −$39.66 |
| 75% | $12.15 | −$39.51 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $16.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $12.31 | −$3.69 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $7.00 | −$9.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $7.00 | −$9.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $12.31 | $7.00 | $16.00 | $7.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $12.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $11.68 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.31 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Billy Williams #173 — FAQ
Is Billy Williams #173 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Billy Williams #173 sell for $12.31, only $10.65 above the $1.66 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($11.68) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Billy Williams #173 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Billy Williams #173 (Baseball Cards 2016 Topps Archives) sells for about $12.31 versus $1.66 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.4× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Billy Williams #173?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $16.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $12.31. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Billy Williams #173 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.
Is your baseball 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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