Is Walt Alston #217 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1962 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Walt Alston #217 sells for $4,608 against $3.94 raw: a $4,604 spread, 1170× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,840) 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)
- $3.94
- PSA 10
- $4,608
- PSA 9
- $3,840
- Gem premium
- 1170×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $4,608 | +$4,579 | +$4,554 | +$4,454 |
| PSA 9 | $3,840 | +$3,811 | +$3,786 | +$3,686 |
| PSA 8 | $82.48 | +$53.54 | +$28.54 | −$71.46 |
Net = sale price − $3.94 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% | $4,032 | +$3,978 |
| 50% | $4,224 | +$4,170 |
| 75% | $4,416 | +$4,362 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $4,608 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $2,765 | −$1,843 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $2,765 | −$1,843 | 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 Walt Alston #217 — FAQ
Is Walt Alston #217 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Walt Alston #217 sells for $4,608 against $3.94 raw: a $4,604 spread, 1170× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($3,840) 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 Walt Alston #217 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Walt Alston #217 (Baseball Cards 1962 Topps) sells for about $4,608 versus $3.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1170× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Walt Alston #217?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $4,608, ahead of CGC 10 at $2,765. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Walt Alston #217 need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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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