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Billy Martin #89 (Baseball Cards 1961 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Billy Martin #89 worth grading?

Baseball · Baseball Cards 1961 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Billy Martin #89 sells for $1,033 against $5.99 raw: a $1,027 spread, 172× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($161) 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)
$5.99
PSA 10
$1,033
PSA 9
$161
Gem premium
172×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Billy Martin #89: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$1,033+$1,002+$977+$877
PSA 9$161+$130+$105+$4.74
PSA 8$91.88+$60.89+$35.89−$64.11

Net = sale price − $5.99 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?

Billy Martin #89: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$379+$323
50%$597+$541
75%$815+$759

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
Billy Martin #89: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$1,342best55/4570/30
PSA 10$1,033−$30955/4575/25
CGC 10$620−$72255/4575/25
SGC 10$620−$72255/4575/25

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.

Billy Martin #89 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$1,033$620$1,342$620
9.5$293
9$161
8$91.88
7$43.77

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

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

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Grading Billy Martin #89 — FAQ

Is Billy Martin #89 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Billy Martin #89 sells for $1,033 against $5.99 raw: a $1,027 spread, 172× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($161) 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 Billy Martin #89 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Billy Martin #89 (Baseball Cards 1961 Topps) sells for about $1,033 versus $5.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 172× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Billy Martin #89?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,342, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,033. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Billy Martin #89 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.

Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?

Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.

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