Is Willie Montanez #515 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 107× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Willie Montanez #515 sells for $211 against $1.96 raw: a $209 spread, 107× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.00) 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)
- $1.96
- PSA 10
- $211
- PSA 9
- $24.00
- Gem premium
- 107×
- 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 | $211 | +$184 | +$159 | +$58.59 |
| PSA 9 | $24.00 | −$2.96 | −$27.96 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $17.91 | −$9.05 | −$34.05 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $1.96 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% | $70.64 | +$18.68 |
| 50% | $117 | +$65.32 |
| 75% | $164 | +$112 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $274 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $211 | −$63.45 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $126 | −$148 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $126 | −$148 | 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 Willie Montanez #515 — FAQ
Is Willie Montanez #515 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Willie Montanez #515 sells for $211 against $1.96 raw: a $209 spread, 107× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.00) 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 Willie Montanez #515 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Willie Montanez #515 (Baseball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $211 versus $1.96 for a raw near-mint copy — a 107× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Willie Montanez #515?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $274, ahead of PSA 10 at $211. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Willie Montanez #515 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 Willie Montanez #515 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Willie Montanez #515 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.00).
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