Is Art Howe #129 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 84× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Art Howe #129 sells for $126 against $1.50 raw: a $124 spread, 84× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.10) 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
- $126
- PSA 9
- $26.10
- Gem premium
- 84×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $126 | +$99.38 | +$74.38 | −$25.62 |
| PSA 9 | $26.10 | −$0.40 | −$25.40 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $12.45 | −$14.05 | −$39.05 | −$139 |
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% | $51.05 | −$0.45 |
| 50% | $75.99 | +$24.49 |
| 75% | $101 | +$49.44 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $164 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $126 | −$38.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $76.00 | −$88.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $76.00 | −$88.00 | 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 Art Howe #129 — FAQ
Is Art Howe #129 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Art Howe #129 sells for $126 against $1.50 raw: a $124 spread, 84× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.10) 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 Art Howe #129 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Art Howe #129 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $126 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 84× premium as of Sep 2, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Art Howe #129?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $164, ahead of PSA 10 at $126. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Art Howe #129 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 Art Howe #129 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Art Howe #129 breaks even when it gems about 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.10).
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