Is Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1956 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 sells for $31,541 against $185 raw: a $31,357 spread, 171× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($22,200) 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): $185
PSA 10: $31,541
PSA 9: $22,200
Gem premium: 171×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$31,541	+$31,332	+$31,307	+$31,207
PSA 9	$22,200	+$21,990	+$21,965	+$21,865
PSA 8	$5,185	+$4,975	+$4,950	+$4,850

Net = sale price − $185 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?

Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$24,535	+$24,301
50%	$26,871	+$26,636
75%	$29,206	+$28,971

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 →

Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$41,004	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$31,541	−$9,463	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$18,925	−$22,079	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$18,925	−$22,079	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 →

Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$31,541	$18,925	$41,004	$18,925	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$24,420
9	—	—	—	—	$22,200
8	—	—	—	—	$5,185
7	—	—	—	—	$2,379

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1956 Topps cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Hank Aaron #31

Raw $227PSA 10 $72,720

Frank Thomas [White Back] #153

Raw $231PSA 10 $72,053

Jackie Robinson [Gray Back] #30

Raw $535PSA 10 $142,080

Roberto Clemente [Gray Back] #33

Raw $724PSA 10 $171,178

Mickey Mantle [White Back] #135

Raw $1,050PSA 10 $230,148

Mickey Mantle [Gray Back] #135

Raw $1,170PSA 10 $250,103

Grading Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 — FAQ

Is Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 (Baseball Cards 1956 Topps) sells for about $31,541 versus $185 for a raw near-mint copy — a 171× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $41,004, ahead of PSA 10 at $31,541. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Ted Williams [Gray Back] #5 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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