Is Dock Ellis #145 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dock Ellis #145 sells for $428 against $2.46 raw: a $425 spread, 174× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) 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)
- $2.46
- PSA 10
- $428
- PSA 9
- $39.00
- Gem premium
- 174×
- 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 | $428 | +$400 | +$375 | +$275 |
| PSA 9 | $39.00 | +$11.54 | −$13.46 | −$113 |
| PSA 8 | $22.50 | −$4.96 | −$29.96 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $2.46 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% | $136 | +$83.67 |
| 50% | $233 | +$181 |
| 75% | $330 | +$278 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $556 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $428 | −$128 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $257 | −$299 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $257 | −$299 | 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 Dock Ellis #145 — FAQ
Is Dock Ellis #145 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dock Ellis #145 sells for $428 against $2.46 raw: a $425 spread, 174× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) 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 Dock Ellis #145 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dock Ellis #145 (Baseball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $428 versus $2.46 for a raw near-mint copy — a 174× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dock Ellis #145?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $556, ahead of PSA 10 at $428. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dock Ellis #145 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 Dock Ellis #145 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dock Ellis #145 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $39.00).
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