Is Willie Montanez #305 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 57× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Willie Montanez #305 sells for $84.91 against $1.49 raw: a $83.42 spread, 57× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.63) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $84.91
- PSA 9
- $12.63
- Gem premium
- 57×
- 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 | $84.91 | +$58.42 | +$33.42 | −$66.58 |
| PSA 9 | $12.63 | −$13.86 | −$38.86 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.50 | −$41.50 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $30.70 | −$20.79 |
| 50% | $48.77 | −$2.72 |
| 75% | $66.84 | +$15.35 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $110 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.91 | −$25.09 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $51.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $51.00 | −$59.00 | 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 Willie Montanez #305 — FAQ
Is Willie Montanez #305 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Willie Montanez #305 sells for $84.91 against $1.49 raw: a $83.42 spread, 57× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.63) 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 Willie Montanez #305 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Willie Montanez #305 (Baseball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $84.91 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 57× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Willie Montanez #305?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $110, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.91. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Willie Montanez #305 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 Willie Montanez #305 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Willie Montanez #305 breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.63).
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