Is Eric Vail #15 worth grading?
Hockey · Hockey Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 40× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Eric Vail #15 sells for $53.00 against $1.31 raw: a $51.69 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($4.34) 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)
- $1.31
- PSA 10
- $53.00
- PSA 9
- $4.34
- Gem premium
- 40×
- 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 | $53.00 | +$26.69 | +$1.69 | −$98.31 |
| PSA 9 | $4.34 | −$21.97 | −$46.97 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.31 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% | $16.50 | −$34.80 |
| 50% | $28.67 | −$22.64 |
| 75% | $40.84 | −$10.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 97%. 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 | $69.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $53.00 | −$16.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $32.00 | −$37.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $32.00 | −$37.00 | 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 | $53.00 | $32.00 | $69.00 | $32.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $5.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $4.34 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Eric Vail #15 — FAQ
Is Eric Vail #15 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Eric Vail #15 sells for $53.00 against $1.31 raw: a $51.69 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($4.34) 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 Eric Vail #15 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Eric Vail #15 (Hockey Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $53.00 versus $1.31 for a raw near-mint copy — a 40× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Eric Vail #15?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $69.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $53.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Eric Vail #15 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 Eric Vail #15 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Eric Vail #15 breaks even when it gems about 97% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $4.34).
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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