Is Rick Burleson #16T worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1986 Topps Traded · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Rick Burleson #16T sells for $70.69 against $1.44 raw: a $69.25 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.61) 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)
- $1.44
- PSA 10
- $70.69
- PSA 9
- $18.61
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $70.69 | +$44.25 | +$19.25 | −$80.75 |
| PSA 9 | $18.61 | −$7.83 | −$32.83 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $1.44 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% | $31.63 | −$19.81 |
| 50% | $44.65 | −$6.79 |
| 75% | $57.67 | +$6.23 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 63%. 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 | $92.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $70.69 | −$21.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$50.00 | 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 Rick Burleson #16T — FAQ
Is Rick Burleson #16T worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rick Burleson #16T sells for $70.69 against $1.44 raw: a $69.25 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.61) 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 Rick Burleson #16T worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rick Burleson #16T (Baseball Cards 1986 Topps Traded) sells for about $70.69 versus $1.44 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rick Burleson #16T?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $92.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $70.69. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rick Burleson #16T 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 Rick Burleson #16T break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rick Burleson #16T breaks even when it gems about 63% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.61).
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