Is Jim Slaton #281 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1975 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Jim Slaton #281 sells for $5,940 against $5.50 raw: a $5,935 spread, 1080× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.54) 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)
- $5.50
- CGC 10
- $5,940
- PSA 9
- $69.54
- Gem premium
- 1080×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $5,940 | +$5,910 | +$5,885 | +$5,785 |
| PSA 9 | $69.54 | +$39.04 | +$14.04 | −$85.96 |
| PSA 8 | $15.97 | −$14.53 | −$39.53 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $5.50 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% | $1,537 | +$1,482 |
| 50% | $3,005 | +$2,949 |
| 75% | $4,472 | +$4,417 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $5,940 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $5,940 | best | 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 Jim Slaton #281 — FAQ
Is Jim Slaton #281 worth grading?
A CGC 10 Jim Slaton #281 sells for $5,940 against $5.50 raw: a $5,935 spread, 1080× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.54) 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.
Which grading company is best for Jim Slaton #281?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $5,940, ahead of SGC 10 at $5,940. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Jim Slaton #281 need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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.
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