Is Bob Bailey #97 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 83× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bob Bailey #97 sells for $150 against $1.81 raw: a $148 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.49) 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)
- $1.81
- PSA 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $20.49
- Gem premium
- 83×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $150 | +$123 | +$98.19 | −$1.81 |
| PSA 9 | $20.49 | −$6.32 | −$31.32 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $11.56 | −$15.25 | −$40.25 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.81 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% | $52.87 | +$1.06 |
| 50% | $85.25 | +$33.44 |
| 75% | $118 | +$65.81 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $195 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $150 | −$45.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $90.00 | −$105 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $90.00 | −$105 | 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 Bob Bailey #97 — FAQ
Is Bob Bailey #97 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bob Bailey #97 sells for $150 against $1.81 raw: a $148 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.49) 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 Bob Bailey #97 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bob Bailey #97 (Baseball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $150 versus $1.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 83× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bob Bailey #97?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $195, ahead of PSA 10 at $150. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bob Bailey #97 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 Bob Bailey #97 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bob Bailey #97 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.49).
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