Is Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 sells for $67.65 against $1.50 raw: a $66.15 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.50) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $67.65
- PSA 9
- $11.50
- Gem premium
- 45×
- 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 | $67.65 | +$41.15 | +$16.15 | −$83.85 |
| PSA 9 | $11.50 | −$15.00 | −$40.00 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $9.58 | −$16.92 | −$41.92 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $25.54 | −$25.96 |
| 50% | $39.58 | −$11.92 |
| 75% | $53.61 | +$2.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 71%. 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 | $88.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $67.65 | −$20.35 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$47.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$47.00 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $67.65 | $41.00 | $88.00 | $41.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $13.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $11.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.58 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 — FAQ
Is Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 sells for $67.65 against $1.50 raw: a $66.15 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.50) 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 Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $67.65 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $88.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $67.65. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 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 Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bobby Bonds [Lifetime HR 986] #71 breaks even when it gems about 71% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.50).
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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