Is Bill Melton #309T worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1976 Topps Traded · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bill Melton #309T sells for $89.21 against $2.30 raw: a $86.91 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.00) 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)
- $2.30
- PSA 10
- $89.21
- PSA 9
- $16.00
- Gem premium
- 39×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $89.21 | +$61.91 | +$36.91 | −$63.09 |
| PSA 9 | $16.00 | −$11.30 | −$36.30 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $14.95 | −$12.35 | −$37.35 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $2.30 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% | $34.30 | −$18.00 |
| 50% | $52.60 | +$0.30 |
| 75% | $70.91 | +$18.61 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 50%. 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 | $116 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $89.21 | −$26.79 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$62.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$62.00 | 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 Bill Melton #309T — FAQ
Is Bill Melton #309T worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bill Melton #309T sells for $89.21 against $2.30 raw: a $86.91 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.00) 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 Bill Melton #309T worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bill Melton #309T (Baseball Cards 1976 Topps Traded) sells for about $89.21 versus $2.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bill Melton #309T?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $116, ahead of PSA 10 at $89.21. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bill Melton #309T 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 Bill Melton #309T break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bill Melton #309T breaks even when it gems about 50% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.00).
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