Is Tony Armas #255 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps Tiffany · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tony Armas #255 sells for $59.05 against $1.50 raw: a $57.55 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.27) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $59.05
- PSA 9
- $11.27
- Gem premium
- 39×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $59.05 | +$32.55 | +$7.55 | −$92.45 |
| PSA 9 | $11.27 | −$15.23 | −$40.23 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $23.21 | −$28.29 |
| 50% | $35.16 | −$16.34 |
| 75% | $47.10 | −$4.40 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 84%. 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 | $77.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $59.05 | −$17.95 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$42.00 | 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 Tony Armas #255 — FAQ
Is Tony Armas #255 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tony Armas #255 sells for $59.05 against $1.50 raw: a $57.55 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.27) 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 Tony Armas #255 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tony Armas #255 (Baseball Cards 1986 Topps Tiffany) sells for about $59.05 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tony Armas #255?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $77.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $59.05. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tony Armas #255 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 Tony Armas #255 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tony Armas #255 breaks even when it gems about 84% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.27).
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