Is Jim Rice #500 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Jim Rice #500 sells for $415 against $1.33 raw: a $413 spread, 312× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.81) 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)
- $1.33
- PSA 10
- $415
- PSA 9
- $33.81
- Gem premium
- 312×
- 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 | $415 | +$388 | +$363 | +$263 |
| PSA 9 | $33.81 | +$7.48 | −$17.52 | −$118 |
| PSA 8 | $15.66 | −$10.67 | −$35.67 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.33 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% | $129 | +$77.65 |
| 50% | $224 | +$173 |
| 75% | $319 | +$268 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $539 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $415 | −$125 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $249 | −$290 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $249 | −$290 | 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 | $415 | $249 | $539 | $249 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $74.99 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $33.81 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $15.66 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $8.95 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Jim Rice #500 — FAQ
Is Jim Rice #500 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Jim Rice #500 sells for $415 against $1.33 raw: a $413 spread, 312× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($33.81) 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 Jim Rice #500 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Jim Rice #500 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $415 versus $1.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 312× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Jim Rice #500?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $539, ahead of PSA 10 at $415. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Jim Rice #500 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 Jim Rice #500 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Jim Rice #500 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.81).
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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