Is Ellis Valentine #849 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1981 Topps Traded · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ellis Valentine #849 sells for $46.30 against $1.29 raw: a $45.01 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.59) 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)
- $1.29
- PSA 10
- $46.30
- PSA 9
- $13.59
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $46.30 | +$20.01 | −$4.99 | −$105 |
| PSA 9 | $13.59 | −$12.70 | −$37.70 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $5.50 | −$20.79 | −$45.79 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.29 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% | $21.77 | −$29.52 |
| 50% | $29.95 | −$21.34 |
| 75% | $38.12 | −$13.17 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $60.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $46.30 | −$13.70 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $28.00 | −$32.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $28.00 | −$32.00 | 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 | $46.30 | $28.00 | $60.00 | $28.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $15.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $13.59 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other 1981 Topps Traded cards worth checking
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Grading Ellis Valentine #849 — FAQ
Is Ellis Valentine #849 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ellis Valentine #849 sells for $46.30 against $1.29 raw: a $45.01 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.59) 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 Ellis Valentine #849 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ellis Valentine #849 (Baseball Cards 1981 Topps Traded) sells for about $46.30 versus $1.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ellis Valentine #849?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $60.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $46.30. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ellis Valentine #849 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.
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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