Is Roger Erickson #81 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Roger Erickson #81 sells for $51.88 against $1.45 raw: a $50.43 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.77) 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)
- $1.45
- PSA 10
- $51.88
- PSA 9
- $14.77
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $51.88 | +$25.43 | +$0.43 | −$99.57 |
| PSA 9 | $14.77 | −$11.68 | −$36.68 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $11.49 | −$14.96 | −$39.96 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.45 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% | $24.05 | −$27.40 |
| 50% | $33.33 | −$18.12 |
| 75% | $42.60 | −$8.85 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 99%. 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 | $67.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $51.88 | −$15.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $31.00 | −$36.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1979 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Roger Erickson #81 — FAQ
Is Roger Erickson #81 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Roger Erickson #81 sells for $51.88 against $1.45 raw: a $50.43 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.77) 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 Roger Erickson #81 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Roger Erickson #81 (Baseball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $51.88 versus $1.45 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Roger Erickson #81?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $67.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $51.88. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Roger Erickson #81 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 Roger Erickson #81 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Roger Erickson #81 breaks even when it gems about 99% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.77).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
