Is Steve Hawes #21 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 88× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Steve Hawes #21 sells for $159 against $1.81 raw: a $157 spread, 88× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.29) 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)
- $1.81
- PSA 10
- $159
- PSA 9
- $13.29
- Gem premium
- 88×
- 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 | $159 | +$132 | +$107 | +$7.17 |
| PSA 9 | $13.29 | −$13.52 | −$38.52 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $8.18 | −$18.63 | −$43.63 | −$144 |
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% | $49.71 | −$2.10 |
| 50% | $86.13 | +$34.32 |
| 75% | $123 | +$70.75 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. 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 | $207 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $159 | −$48.02 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $95.00 | −$112 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $95.00 | −$112 | 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 | $159 | $95.00 | $207 | $95.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $63.50 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $13.29 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.18 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.05 |
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 Steve Hawes #21 — FAQ
Is Steve Hawes #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Steve Hawes #21 sells for $159 against $1.81 raw: a $157 spread, 88× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($13.29) 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 Steve Hawes #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Steve Hawes #21 (Basketball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $159 versus $1.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 88× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Steve Hawes #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $207, ahead of PSA 10 at $159. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Steve Hawes #21 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 Steve Hawes #21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Steve Hawes #21 breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $13.29).
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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