Is John Havlicek #20 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1969 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 John Havlicek #20 sells for $11,660 against $31.03 raw: a $11,629 spread, 376× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($10,600) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $31.03
- Grade 9.5
- $11,660
- PSA 9
- $10,600
- Gem premium
- 376×
- As of
- Sep 4, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $11,660 | +$11,604 | +$11,579 | +$11,479 |
| PSA 9 | $10,600 | +$10,544 | +$10,519 | +$10,419 |
| PSA 8 | $857 | +$800 | +$775 | +$675 |
Net = sale price − $31.03 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% | $10,865 | +$10,784 |
| 50% | $11,130 | +$11,049 |
| 75% | $11,395 | +$11,314 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading John Havlicek #20 — FAQ
Is John Havlicek #20 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 John Havlicek #20 sells for $11,660 against $31.03 raw: a $11,629 spread, 376× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($10,600) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
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