Is Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 worth grading?
Marvel · Marvel 2023 Upper Deck Platinum · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 sell for $1,450, only $0.00 above the $2,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($384) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $2,000
- PSA 10
- $1,450
- PSA 9
- $384
- Gem premium
- 0.7×
- As of
- Aug 15, 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 | $1,450 | −$575 | −$600 | −$700 |
| PSA 9 | $384 | −$1,641 | −$1,666 | −$1,766 |
Net = sale price − $2,000 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% | $651 | −$1,400 |
| 50% | $917 | −$1,133 |
| 75% | $1,184 | −$867 |
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 | $1,885 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,450 | −$435 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $870 | −$1,015 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $870 | −$1,015 | 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 | $1,450 | $870 | $1,885 | $870 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $422 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $384 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Marvel 2023 Upper Deck Platinum cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 — FAQ
Is Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 sell for $1,450, only $0.00 above the $2,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($384) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 (Marvel 2023 Upper Deck Platinum) sells for about $1,450 versus $2,000 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.7× premium as of Aug 15, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,885, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,450. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Captain America [Amber Crystals] #171 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.
Is your Marvel 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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