Is Cornell Warner #109 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 154× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Cornell Warner #109 sells for $171 against $1.11 raw: a $170 spread, 154× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.28) 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)
- $1.11
- PSA 10
- $171
- PSA 9
- $19.28
- Gem premium
- 154×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $171 | +$145 | +$120 | +$20.08 |
| PSA 9 | $19.28 | −$6.83 | −$31.83 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $14.35 | −$11.76 | −$36.76 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.11 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% | $57.26 | +$6.15 |
| 50% | $95.23 | +$44.13 |
| 75% | $133 | +$82.10 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 21%. 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 | $223 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $171 | −$51.81 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $103 | −$120 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $103 | −$120 | 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 | $171 | $103 | $223 | $103 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $58.12 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.28 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $14.35 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $11.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Cornell Warner #109 — FAQ
Is Cornell Warner #109 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Cornell Warner #109 sells for $171 against $1.11 raw: a $170 spread, 154× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.28) 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 Cornell Warner #109 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Cornell Warner #109 (Basketball Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $171 versus $1.11 for a raw near-mint copy — a 154× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Cornell Warner #109?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $223, ahead of PSA 10 at $171. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Cornell Warner #109 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 Cornell Warner #109 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Cornell Warner #109 breaks even when it gems about 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.28).
Is your basketball 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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