Is John Henry Johnson #173 worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 134× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Henry Johnson #173 sells for $84.14 against $0.63 raw: a $83.51 spread, 134× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.98) 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)
- $0.63
- PSA 10
- $84.14
- PSA 9
- $13.98
- Gem premium
- 134×
- 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 | $84.14 | +$58.51 | +$33.51 | −$66.49 |
| PSA 9 | $13.98 | −$11.65 | −$36.65 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $7.53 | −$18.10 | −$43.10 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $0.63 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% | $31.52 | −$19.11 |
| 50% | $49.06 | −$1.57 |
| 75% | $66.60 | +$15.97 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $84.14 | −$24.86 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$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 John Henry Johnson #173 — FAQ
Is John Henry Johnson #173 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Henry Johnson #173 sells for $84.14 against $0.63 raw: a $83.51 spread, 134× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.98) 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 John Henry Johnson #173 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Henry Johnson #173 (Baseball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $84.14 versus $0.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 134× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Henry Johnson #173?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $84.14. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Henry Johnson #173 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 John Henry Johnson #173 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Henry Johnson #173 breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.98).
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