Is Steve Carlton #202 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Carlton #202 sells for $60.94 against $1.57 raw: a $59.37 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.50) 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)
- $1.57
- PSA 10
- $60.94
- PSA 9
- $17.50
- Gem premium
- 39×
- 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 | $60.94 | +$34.37 | +$9.37 | −$90.63 |
| PSA 9 | $17.50 | −$9.07 | −$34.07 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $12.59 | −$13.98 | −$38.98 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.57 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% | $28.36 | −$23.21 |
| 50% | $39.22 | −$12.35 |
| 75% | $50.08 | −$1.49 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 78%. 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 | $79.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $60.94 | −$18.06 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$42.00 | 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 | $60.94 | $37.00 | $79.00 | $37.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.35 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $12.59 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.11 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Steve Carlton #202 — FAQ
Is Steve Carlton #202 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Carlton #202 sells for $60.94 against $1.57 raw: a $59.37 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.50) 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 Steve Carlton #202 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Carlton #202 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $60.94 versus $1.57 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Carlton #202?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $79.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $60.94. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Carlton #202 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 Steve Carlton #202 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Carlton #202 breaks even when it gems about 78% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.50).
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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