Is RA Dickey #81 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1997 Bowman · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 20× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 RA Dickey #81 sells for $46.00 against $2.35 raw: a $43.65 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.29) 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)
- $2.35
- PSA 10
- $46.00
- PSA 9
- $18.29
- Gem premium
- 20×
- 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 | $46.00 | +$18.65 | −$6.35 | −$106 |
| PSA 9 | $18.29 | −$9.06 | −$34.06 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $1.25 | −$26.10 | −$51.10 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $2.35 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% | $25.22 | −$27.13 |
| 50% | $32.14 | −$20.21 |
| 75% | $39.07 | −$13.28 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $60.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $46.00 | −$14.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $28.00 | −$32.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $28.00 | −$32.00 | 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 RA Dickey #81 — FAQ
Is RA Dickey #81 worth grading?
A PSA 10 RA Dickey #81 sells for $46.00 against $2.35 raw: a $43.65 spread, 20× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.29) 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 RA Dickey #81 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 RA Dickey #81 (Baseball Cards 1997 Bowman) sells for about $46.00 versus $2.35 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for RA Dickey #81?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $60.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $46.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does RA Dickey #81 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.
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