Is Roy Smalley #17 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Roy Smalley #17 sells for $6,691 against $26.30 raw: a $6,665 spread, 254× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($450) 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)
- $26.30
- PSA 10
- $6,691
- PSA 9
- $450
- Gem premium
- 254×
- As of
- Sep 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 | $6,691 | +$6,640 | +$6,615 | +$6,515 |
| PSA 9 | $450 | +$399 | +$374 | +$274 |
| PSA 8 | $139 | +$87.54 | +$62.54 | −$37.46 |
Net = sale price − $26.30 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% | $2,010 | +$1,934 |
| 50% | $3,570 | +$3,494 |
| 75% | $5,131 | +$5,054 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $8,698 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $6,691 | −$2,007 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $4,014 | −$4,684 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $4,014 | −$4,684 | 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 Roy Smalley #17 — FAQ
Is Roy Smalley #17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Roy Smalley #17 sells for $6,691 against $26.30 raw: a $6,665 spread, 254× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($450) 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 Roy Smalley #17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Roy Smalley #17 (Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back) sells for about $6,691 versus $26.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 254× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Roy Smalley #17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $8,698, ahead of PSA 10 at $6,691. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Roy Smalley #17 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.
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