Is Elvin Hayes #40 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Elvin Hayes #40 sells for $2,440 against $1.81 raw: a $2,438 spread, 1348× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.99) 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)
- $1.81
- PSA 10
- $2,440
- PSA 9
- $39.99
- Gem premium
- 1348×
- 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 | $2,440 | +$2,413 | +$2,388 | +$2,288 |
| PSA 9 | $39.99 | +$13.18 | −$11.82 | −$112 |
| PSA 8 | $19.97 | −$6.84 | −$31.84 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.81 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% | $640 | +$588 |
| 50% | $1,240 | +$1,188 |
| 75% | $1,840 | +$1,788 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $3,172 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,440 | −$732 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,464 | −$1,708 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,464 | −$1,708 | 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 | $2,440 | $1,464 | $3,172 | $1,464 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $65.44 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $39.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.97 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.11 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Elvin Hayes #40 — FAQ
Is Elvin Hayes #40 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Elvin Hayes #40 sells for $2,440 against $1.81 raw: a $2,438 spread, 1348× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.99) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Elvin Hayes #40 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Elvin Hayes #40 (Basketball Cards 1977 Topps) sells for about $2,440 versus $1.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1348× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Elvin Hayes #40?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $3,172, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,440. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Elvin Hayes #40 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 Elvin Hayes #40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Elvin Hayes #40 breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $39.99).
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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