Is Wally Backman #48 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Wally Backman #48 sells for $70.54 against $1.48 raw: a $69.06 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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)
- $1.48
- PSA 10
- $70.54
- PSA 9
- $25.00
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $70.54 | +$44.06 | +$19.06 | −$80.94 |
| PSA 9 | $25.00 | −$1.48 | −$26.48 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $10.54 | −$15.94 | −$40.94 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.48 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% | $36.39 | −$15.09 |
| 50% | $47.77 | −$3.71 |
| 75% | $59.16 | +$7.68 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $70.54 | −$21.46 | 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.
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 1987 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Wally Backman #48 — FAQ
Is Wally Backman #48 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Wally Backman #48 sells for $70.54 against $1.48 raw: a $69.06 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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 Wally Backman #48 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Wally Backman #48 (Baseball Cards 1987 Topps) sells for about $70.54 versus $1.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Wally Backman #48?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $92.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $70.54. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Wally Backman #48 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 Wally Backman #48 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Wally Backman #48 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.00).
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.
