Is Cliff Fannin #36 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Cliff Fannin #36 sells for $5,717 against $22.81 raw: a $5,694 spread, 251× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($440) 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)
- $22.81
- PSA 10
- $5,717
- PSA 9
- $440
- Gem premium
- 251×
- 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 | $5,717 | +$5,669 | +$5,644 | +$5,544 |
| PSA 9 | $440 | +$392 | +$367 | +$267 |
| PSA 8 | $110 | +$62.40 | +$37.40 | −$62.60 |
Net = sale price − $22.81 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% | $1,759 | +$1,686 |
| 50% | $3,079 | +$3,006 |
| 75% | $4,398 | +$4,325 |
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 | $7,432 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $5,717 | −$1,715 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $3,430 | −$4,002 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,430 | −$4,002 | 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 Cliff Fannin #36 — FAQ
Is Cliff Fannin #36 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cliff Fannin #36 sells for $5,717 against $22.81 raw: a $5,694 spread, 251× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($440) 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 Cliff Fannin #36 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cliff Fannin #36 (Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back) sells for about $5,717 versus $22.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 251× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cliff Fannin #36?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $7,432, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,717. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cliff Fannin #36 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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