Is Don Cardwell #83 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1970 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Cardwell #83 sells for $265 against $1.82 raw: a $263 spread, 145× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.06) 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)
- $1.82
- PSA 10
- $265
- PSA 9
- $39.06
- Gem premium
- 145×
- 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 | $265 | +$238 | +$213 | +$113 |
| PSA 9 | $39.06 | +$12.24 | −$12.76 | −$113 |
| PSA 8 | $24.99 | −$1.83 | −$26.83 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $1.82 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% | $95.45 | +$43.64 |
| 50% | $152 | +$100 |
| 75% | $208 | +$156 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $344 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $265 | −$79.36 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $159 | −$185 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $159 | −$185 | 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 Don Cardwell #83 — FAQ
Is Don Cardwell #83 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Cardwell #83 sells for $265 against $1.82 raw: a $263 spread, 145× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.06) 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 Don Cardwell #83 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Cardwell #83 (Baseball Cards 1970 Topps) sells for about $265 versus $1.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 145× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Cardwell #83?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $344, ahead of PSA 10 at $265. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Cardwell #83 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.
What gem rate makes grading Don Cardwell #83 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Cardwell #83 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $39.06).
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