Is 1980 A.L. Championships #401 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 1980 A.L. Championships #401 sells for $226 against $1.99 raw: a $224 spread, 114× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.67) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $226
- PSA 9
- $34.67
- Gem premium
- 114×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $226 | +$199 | +$174 | +$74.26 |
| PSA 9 | $34.67 | +$7.68 | −$17.32 | −$117 |
| PSA 8 | $11.52 | −$15.47 | −$40.47 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $82.56 | +$30.58 |
| 50% | $130 | +$78.47 |
| 75% | $178 | +$126 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $294 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $226 | −$67.75 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $136 | −$158 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $136 | −$158 | 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 | $226 | $136 | $294 | $136 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $62.01 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $34.67 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.52 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $4.99 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading 1980 A.L. Championships #401 — FAQ
Is 1980 A.L. Championships #401 worth grading?
A PSA 10 1980 A.L. Championships #401 sells for $226 against $1.99 raw: a $224 spread, 114× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.67) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 1980 A.L. Championships #401 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 1980 A.L. Championships #401 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $226 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 114× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for 1980 A.L. Championships #401?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $294, ahead of PSA 10 at $226. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does 1980 A.L. Championships #401 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 1980 A.L. Championships #401 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting 1980 A.L. Championships #401 breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $34.67).
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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