Is Rory Sparrow #170 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1985 Star · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 75× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Rory Sparrow #170 sells for $277 against $3.72 raw: a $274 spread, 75× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.00) 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)
- $3.72
- PSA 10
- $277
- PSA 9
- $24.00
- Gem premium
- 75×
- 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 | $277 | +$249 | +$224 | +$124 |
| PSA 9 | $24.00 | −$4.72 | −$29.72 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $21.58 | −$7.14 | −$32.14 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $3.72 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% | $87.34 | +$33.62 |
| 50% | $151 | +$96.96 |
| 75% | $214 | +$160 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 12%. 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 | $361 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $277 | −$83.65 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $166 | −$195 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $166 | −$195 | 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 Rory Sparrow #170 — FAQ
Is Rory Sparrow #170 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rory Sparrow #170 sells for $277 against $3.72 raw: a $274 spread, 75× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.00) 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 Rory Sparrow #170 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rory Sparrow #170 (Basketball Cards 1985 Star) sells for about $277 versus $3.72 for a raw near-mint copy — a 75× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rory Sparrow #170?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $361, ahead of PSA 10 at $277. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rory Sparrow #170 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 Rory Sparrow #170 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Rory Sparrow #170 breaks even when it gems about 12% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.00).
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