Is Rick Smith #164 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 82× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Rick Smith #164 sells for $120 against $1.47 raw: a $118 spread, 82× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.61) 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)
- $1.47
- PSA 10
- $120
- PSA 9
- $24.61
- Gem premium
- 82×
- 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 | $120 | +$93.42 | +$68.42 | −$31.58 |
| PSA 9 | $24.61 | −$1.86 | −$26.86 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $10.65 | −$15.82 | −$40.82 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.47 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% | $48.43 | −$3.04 |
| 50% | $72.25 | +$20.78 |
| 75% | $96.07 | +$44.60 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $156 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $120 | −$36.11 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $72.00 | −$84.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $72.00 | −$84.00 | 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 Smith #164 — FAQ
Is Rick Smith #164 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rick Smith #164 sells for $120 against $1.47 raw: a $118 spread, 82× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.61) 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 Smith #164 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rick Smith #164 (Hockey Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $120 versus $1.47 for a raw near-mint copy — a 82× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rick Smith #164?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $156, ahead of PSA 10 at $120. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rick Smith #164 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 Smith #164 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rick Smith #164 breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.61).
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