Is Mike LaCoss #474 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 234× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mike LaCoss #474 sells for $316 against $1.35 raw: a $314 spread, 234× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($8.39) 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)
- $1.35
- PSA 10
- $316
- PSA 9
- $8.39
- Gem premium
- 234×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $316 | +$289 | +$264 | +$164 |
| PSA 9 | $8.39 | −$17.96 | −$42.96 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $6.06 | −$20.29 | −$45.29 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $1.35 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% | $85.20 | +$33.86 |
| 50% | $162 | +$111 |
| 75% | $239 | +$187 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $410 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $316 | −$94.35 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $189 | −$221 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $189 | −$221 | 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 Mike LaCoss #474 — FAQ
Is Mike LaCoss #474 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mike LaCoss #474 sells for $316 against $1.35 raw: a $314 spread, 234× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($8.39) 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 Mike LaCoss #474 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mike LaCoss #474 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $316 versus $1.35 for a raw near-mint copy — a 234× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mike LaCoss #474?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $410, ahead of PSA 10 at $316. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mike LaCoss #474 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 Mike LaCoss #474 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mike LaCoss #474 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $8.39).
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