Is Ken Griffey #280 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 52× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey #280 sells for $71.76 against $1.38 raw: a $70.38 spread, 52× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.07) 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)
- $1.38
- PSA 10
- $71.76
- PSA 9
- $19.07
- Gem premium
- 52×
- 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 | $71.76 | +$45.38 | +$20.38 | −$79.62 |
| PSA 9 | $19.07 | −$7.31 | −$32.31 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $11.24 | −$15.14 | −$40.14 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.38 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% | $32.24 | −$19.14 |
| 50% | $45.42 | −$5.96 |
| 75% | $58.59 | +$7.21 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 61%. 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 | $93.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $71.76 | −$21.24 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $43.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $43.00 | −$50.00 | 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 | $71.76 | $43.00 | $93.00 | $43.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $20.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.07 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.24 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $1.77 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1981 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ken Griffey #280 — FAQ
Is Ken Griffey #280 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey #280 sells for $71.76 against $1.38 raw: a $70.38 spread, 52× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.07) 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 Ken Griffey #280 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ken Griffey #280 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $71.76 versus $1.38 for a raw near-mint copy — a 52× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ken Griffey #280?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $93.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $71.76. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ken Griffey #280 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 Ken Griffey #280 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ken Griffey #280 breaks even when it gems about 61% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.07).
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