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John Williamson #11 (Basketball Cards 1978 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is John Williamson #11 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 John Williamson #11 sells for $119 against $1.59 raw: a $117 spread, 75× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($26.99) 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)
$1.59
PSA 10
$119
PSA 9
$26.99
Gem premium
75×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

John Williamson #11: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$119+$92.41+$67.41−$32.59
PSA 9$26.99+$0.40−$24.60−$125
PSA 8$14.02−$12.57−$37.57−$138

Net = sale price − $1.59 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?

John Williamson #11: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$49.99−$1.60
50%$73.00+$21.41
75%$96.00+$44.41

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 27%. 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
John Williamson #11: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$155best55/4570/30
PSA 10$119−$36.0055/4575/25
CGC 10$71.00−$84.0055/4575/25
SGC 10$71.00−$84.0055/4575/25

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.

John Williamson #11 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$119$71.00$155$71.00
9.5$58.47
9$26.99
8$14.02
7$9.50

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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Grading John Williamson #11 — FAQ

Is John Williamson #11 worth grading?

A PSA 10 John Williamson #11 sells for $119 against $1.59 raw: a $117 spread, 75× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($26.99) 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 John Williamson #11 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 John Williamson #11 (Basketball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $119 versus $1.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 75× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for John Williamson #11?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $155, ahead of PSA 10 at $119. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does John Williamson #11 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 John Williamson #11 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Williamson #11 breaks even when it gems about 27% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.99).

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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