Is Bill Buckner #482 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 146× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bill Buckner #482 sells for $175 against $1.20 raw: a $174 spread, 146× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.50) 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)
- $1.20
- PSA 10
- $175
- PSA 9
- $20.50
- Gem premium
- 146×
- 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 | $175 | +$149 | +$124 | +$23.79 |
| PSA 9 | $20.50 | −$5.70 | −$30.70 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $10.84 | −$15.36 | −$40.36 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.20 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% | $59.12 | +$7.92 |
| 50% | $97.75 | +$46.55 |
| 75% | $136 | +$85.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $227 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $175 | −$52.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $105 | −$122 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $105 | −$122 | 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 | $175 | $105 | $227 | $105 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $44.71 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.84 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1981 Donruss cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
![Best Hitters [G. Brett, R. Carew] #537 1981 Donruss card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/n~wAAeSwgUdqZBNH/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Bill Buckner #482 — FAQ
Is Bill Buckner #482 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bill Buckner #482 sells for $175 against $1.20 raw: a $174 spread, 146× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.50) 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 Bill Buckner #482 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bill Buckner #482 (Baseball Cards 1981 Donruss) sells for about $175 versus $1.20 for a raw near-mint copy — a 146× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bill Buckner #482?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $227, ahead of PSA 10 at $175. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bill Buckner #482 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 Bill Buckner #482 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bill Buckner #482 breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.50).
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.
Check my card free