Is Carlton Fisk #20 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1983 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 44× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Carlton Fisk #20 sells for $78.75 against $1.79 raw: a $76.96 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.00) 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)
- $1.79
- PSA 10
- $78.75
- PSA 9
- $26.00
- Gem premium
- 44×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $78.75 | +$51.96 | +$26.96 | −$73.04 |
| PSA 9 | $26.00 | −$0.79 | −$25.79 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $12.78 | −$14.01 | −$39.01 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $1.79 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% | $39.19 | −$12.60 |
| 50% | $52.38 | +$0.59 |
| 75% | $65.56 | +$13.77 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 49%. 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 | $102 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $78.75 | −$23.25 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $47.00 | −$55.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $47.00 | −$55.00 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1983 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Carlton Fisk #20 — FAQ
Is Carlton Fisk #20 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Carlton Fisk #20 sells for $78.75 against $1.79 raw: a $76.96 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.00) 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 Carlton Fisk #20 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Carlton Fisk #20 (Baseball Cards 1983 Topps) sells for about $78.75 versus $1.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 44× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Carlton Fisk #20?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $102, ahead of PSA 10 at $78.75. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Carlton Fisk #20 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 Carlton Fisk #20 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Carlton Fisk #20 breaks even when it gems about 49% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.00).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your baseball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
