Is Bill Russell #116 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1987 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 80× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Bill Russell #116 sells for $94.86 against $1.19 raw: a $93.67 spread, 80× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.00) 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)
- $1.19
- PSA 10
- $94.86
- PSA 9
- $16.00
- Gem premium
- 80×
- 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 | $94.86 | +$68.67 | +$43.67 | −$56.33 |
| PSA 9 | $16.00 | −$10.19 | −$35.19 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$11.20 | −$36.20 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.19 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% | $35.72 | −$15.47 |
| 50% | $55.43 | +$4.24 |
| 75% | $75.14 | +$23.95 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 45%. 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 | $123 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $94.86 | −$28.14 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $57.00 | −$66.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.00 | −$66.00 | 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 Bill Russell #116 — FAQ
Is Bill Russell #116 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Bill Russell #116 sells for $94.86 against $1.19 raw: a $93.67 spread, 80× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.00) 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 Bill Russell #116 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Bill Russell #116 (Baseball Cards 1987 Topps) sells for about $94.86 versus $1.19 for a raw near-mint copy — a 80× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Bill Russell #116?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $123, ahead of PSA 10 at $94.86. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Bill Russell #116 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 Bill Russell #116 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bill Russell #116 breaks even when it gems about 45% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.00).
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