Is Half-NELSON #118a worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 22× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Half-NELSON #118a sells for $58.00 against $2.68 raw: a $55.32 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.29) 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)
- $2.68
- PSA 10
- $58.00
- PSA 9
- $20.29
- Gem premium
- 22×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $58.00 | +$30.32 | +$5.32 | −$94.68 |
| PSA 9 | $20.29 | −$7.39 | −$32.39 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $19.24 | −$8.44 | −$33.44 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $2.68 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% | $29.72 | −$22.96 |
| 50% | $39.14 | −$13.54 |
| 75% | $48.57 | −$4.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 86%. 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 | $75.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $58.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $35.00 | −$40.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $35.00 | −$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 | $58.00 | $35.00 | $75.00 | $35.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $22.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.29 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.24 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $19.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Other 1986 Garbage Pail Kids cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Half-NELSON #118a — FAQ
Is Half-NELSON #118a worth grading?
A PSA 10 Half-NELSON #118a sells for $58.00 against $2.68 raw: a $55.32 spread, 22× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.29) 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 Half-NELSON #118a worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Half-NELSON #118a (1986 Garbage Pail Kids) sells for about $58.00 versus $2.68 for a raw near-mint copy — a 22× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Half-NELSON #118a?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $75.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $58.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Half-NELSON #118a 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 Half-NELSON #118a break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Half-NELSON #118a breaks even when it gems about 86% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.29).
Is your Garbage Pail Kids 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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