Is Gary Thomasson #18 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 126× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Gary Thomasson #18 sells for $217 against $1.72 raw: a $215 spread, 126× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.82) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.72
- PSA 10
- $217
- PSA 9
- $23.82
- Gem premium
- 126×
- 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 | $217 | +$190 | +$165 | +$64.93 |
| PSA 9 | $23.82 | −$2.90 | −$27.90 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$11.73 | −$36.73 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.72 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% | $72.03 | +$20.31 |
| 50% | $120 | +$68.52 |
| 75% | $168 | +$117 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $282 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $217 | −$65.35 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $130 | −$152 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $130 | −$152 | 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 Gary Thomasson #18 — FAQ
Is Gary Thomasson #18 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Gary Thomasson #18 sells for $217 against $1.72 raw: a $215 spread, 126× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.82) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Gary Thomasson #18 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Gary Thomasson #18 (Baseball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $217 versus $1.72 for a raw near-mint copy — a 126× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Gary Thomasson #18?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $282, ahead of PSA 10 at $217. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Gary Thomasson #18 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 Gary Thomasson #18 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Gary Thomasson #18 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.82).
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