Is Billy Martin #81 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1984 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 43× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #81 sells for $61.81 against $1.45 raw: a $60.36 spread, 43× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.50) 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)
- $1.45
- PSA 10
- $61.81
- PSA 9
- $22.50
- Gem premium
- 43×
- 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 | $61.81 | +$35.36 | +$10.36 | −$89.64 |
| PSA 9 | $22.50 | −$3.95 | −$28.95 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $16.47 | −$9.98 | −$34.98 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $1.45 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% | $32.33 | −$19.12 |
| 50% | $42.16 | −$9.30 |
| 75% | $51.98 | +$0.53 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 74%. 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 | $80.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.81 | −$18.19 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$43.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$43.00 | 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 | $61.81 | $37.00 | $80.00 | $37.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $30.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $22.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $16.47 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $12.97 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1984 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Billy Martin #81 — FAQ
Is Billy Martin #81 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #81 sells for $61.81 against $1.45 raw: a $60.36 spread, 43× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.50) 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 #81 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Billy Martin #81 (Baseball Cards 1984 Topps) sells for about $61.81 versus $1.45 for a raw near-mint copy — a 43× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Billy Martin #81?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $80.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.81. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Billy Martin #81 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 #81 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Billy Martin #81 breaks even when it gems about 74% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.50).
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.
Check my card free