Is Foster Castleman #271 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1956 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Foster Castleman #271 sells for $1,769 against $7.07 raw: a $1,762 spread, 250× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,474) 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): $7.07
PSA 10: $1,769
PSA 9: $1,474
Gem premium: 250×
As of: Sep 3, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Foster Castleman #271: 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	$1,769	+$1,737	+$1,712	+$1,612
PSA 9	$1,474	+$1,442	+$1,417	+$1,317
PSA 8	$215	+$183	+$158	+$57.99

Net = sale price − $7.07 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?

Foster Castleman #271: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$1,548	+$1,491
50%	$1,622	+$1,565
75%	$1,695	+$1,638

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 →

Foster Castleman #271: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$2,300	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$1,769	−$531	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$1,061	−$1,239	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$1,061	−$1,239	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 →

Foster Castleman #271 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$1,769	$1,061	$2,300	$1,061	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$1,622
9	—	—	—	—	$1,474
8	—	—	—	—	$215
7	—	—	—	—	$61.00

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 Foster Castleman #271 — FAQ

Is Foster Castleman #271 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Foster Castleman #271 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Foster Castleman #271 (Baseball Cards 1956 Topps) sells for about $1,769 versus $7.07 for a raw near-mint copy — a 250× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Foster Castleman #271?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,300, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,769. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Foster Castleman #271 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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