Is Charlie Burns #21 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1971 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 34× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Charlie Burns #21 sells for $56.99 against $1.67 raw: a $55.32 spread, 34× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.75) 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)
- $1.67
- PSA 10
- $56.99
- PSA 9
- $25.75
- Gem premium
- 34×
- 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 | $56.99 | +$30.32 | +$5.32 | −$94.68 |
| PSA 9 | $25.75 | −$0.92 | −$25.92 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $23.66 | −$3.01 | −$28.01 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $1.67 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% | $33.56 | −$18.11 |
| 50% | $41.37 | −$10.30 |
| 75% | $49.18 | −$2.49 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 83%. 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 | $74.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $56.99 | −$17.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $34.00 | −$40.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $34.00 | −$40.00 | 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 | $56.99 | $34.00 | $74.00 | $34.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $56.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $25.75 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $23.66 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $19.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1971 Topps cards worth checking
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Grading Charlie Burns #21 — FAQ
Is Charlie Burns #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Charlie Burns #21 sells for $56.99 against $1.67 raw: a $55.32 spread, 34× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.75) 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 Charlie Burns #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Charlie Burns #21 (Hockey Cards 1971 Topps) sells for about $56.99 versus $1.67 for a raw near-mint copy — a 34× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Charlie Burns #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $74.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $56.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Charlie Burns #21 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 Charlie Burns #21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Charlie Burns #21 breaks even when it gems about 83% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.75).
Is your hockey 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.
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