Is Amos Otis #490 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Amos Otis #490 sells for $575 against $1.00 raw: a $574 spread, 575× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.95) 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)
- $1.00
- PSA 10
- $575
- PSA 9
- $43.95
- Gem premium
- 575×
- 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 | $575 | +$549 | +$524 | +$424 |
| PSA 9 | $43.95 | +$17.95 | −$7.05 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $12.95 | −$13.05 | −$38.05 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $1.00 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% | $177 | +$126 |
| 50% | $309 | +$258 |
| 75% | $442 | +$391 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $748 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $575 | −$173 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $345 | −$403 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $345 | −$403 | 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 Amos Otis #490 — FAQ
Is Amos Otis #490 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Amos Otis #490 sells for $575 against $1.00 raw: a $574 spread, 575× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($43.95) 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 Amos Otis #490 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Amos Otis #490 (Baseball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $575 versus $1.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 575× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Amos Otis #490?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $748, ahead of PSA 10 at $575. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Amos Otis #490 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 Amos Otis #490 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Amos Otis #490 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $43.95).
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