Is Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1980 Topps Superstar 5x7 Photos · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 sells for $55.00 against $3.49 raw: a $51.51 spread, 16× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.95) 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)
- $3.49
- Grade 9.5
- $55.00
- PSA 9
- $49.95
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $55.00 | +$26.51 | +$1.51 | −$98.49 |
| PSA 9 | $49.95 | +$21.46 | −$3.54 | −$104 |
Net = sale price − $3.49 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% | $51.21 | −$2.28 |
| 50% | $52.48 | −$1.02 |
| 75% | $53.74 | +$0.25 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 70%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Other 1980 Topps Superstar 5x7 Photos cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Steve Garvey [Gray Back] #13 1980 Topps Superstar 5x7 Photos card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LCYAAeSwau5orjUd/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 — FAQ
Is Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 sells for $55.00 against $3.49 raw: a $51.51 spread, 16× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.95) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Johnny Bench [Gray Back] #3 breaks even when it gems about 70% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.95).
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