Is Don Sutton #170 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Don Sutton #170 sells for $371 against $1.62 raw: a $369 spread, 229× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.82) 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)
- $1.62
- PSA 10
- $371
- PSA 9
- $35.82
- Gem premium
- 229×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $371 | +$344 | +$319 | +$219 |
| PSA 9 | $35.82 | +$9.20 | −$15.80 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $20.96 | −$5.66 | −$30.66 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $1.62 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% | $120 | +$68.00 |
| 50% | $203 | +$152 |
| 75% | $287 | +$236 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $482 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $371 | −$111 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $223 | −$259 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $223 | −$259 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $371 | $223 | $482 | $223 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $57.01 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $35.82 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $20.96 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $10.50 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Don Sutton #170 — FAQ
Is Don Sutton #170 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Don Sutton #170 sells for $371 against $1.62 raw: a $369 spread, 229× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($35.82) 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 Don Sutton #170 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Don Sutton #170 (Baseball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $371 versus $1.62 for a raw near-mint copy — a 229× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Don Sutton #170?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $482, ahead of PSA 10 at $371. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Don Sutton #170 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 Don Sutton #170 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Don Sutton #170 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $35.82).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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