Is Billy Martin #156 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1983 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #156 sells for $67.69 against $1.49 raw: a $66.20 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.66) 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)
- $1.49
- PSA 10
- $67.69
- PSA 9
- $11.66
- Gem premium
- 45×
- 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 | $67.69 | +$41.20 | +$16.20 | −$83.80 |
| PSA 9 | $11.66 | −$14.83 | −$39.83 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $5.20 | −$21.29 | −$46.29 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $1.49 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% | $25.67 | −$25.82 |
| 50% | $39.67 | −$11.82 |
| 75% | $53.68 | +$2.19 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 71%. 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 | $88.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $67.69 | −$20.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$47.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$47.00 | 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.
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Grading Billy Martin #156 — FAQ
Is Billy Martin #156 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #156 sells for $67.69 against $1.49 raw: a $66.20 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.66) 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 Billy Martin #156 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #156 (Baseball Cards 1983 Topps) sells for about $67.69 versus $1.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Billy Martin #156?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $88.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $67.69. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Billy Martin #156 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 Billy Martin #156 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Billy Martin #156 breaks even when it gems about 71% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.66).
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