Is Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1956 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 sells for $1,129 against $5.17 raw: a $1,123 spread, 218× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($792) 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): $5.17
PSA 10: $1,129
PSA 9: $792
Gem premium: 218×
As of: Sep 3, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81: 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	$1,129	+$1,098	+$1,073	+$973
PSA 9	$792	+$762	+$737	+$637
PSA 8	$134	+$103	+$78.33	−$21.67

Net = sale price − $5.17 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?

Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$876	+$821
50%	$960	+$905
75%	$1,044	+$989

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 →

Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$1,467	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$1,129	−$338	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$677	−$790	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$677	−$790	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 →

Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$1,129	$677	$1,467	$677	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$871
9	—	—	—	—	$792
8	—	—	—	—	$134
7	—	—	—	—	$33.03

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 Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 — FAQ

Is Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 (Baseball Cards 1956 Topps) sells for about $1,129 versus $5.17 for a raw near-mint copy — a 218× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,467, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,129. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Wally Westlake [Gray Back] #81 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.

Best on iPhone & Android

Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app

Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.

Or try it on the web →