Is Darnell Hillman #119 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1978 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 114× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Darnell Hillman #119 sells for $195 against $1.71 raw: a $194 spread, 114× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.50) 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)
- $1.71
- PSA 10
- $195
- PSA 9
- $17.50
- Gem premium
- 114×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $195 | +$169 | +$144 | +$43.54 |
| PSA 9 | $17.50 | −$9.21 | −$34.21 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $16.58 | −$10.13 | −$35.13 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $1.71 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% | $61.94 | +$10.23 |
| 50% | $106 | +$54.67 |
| 75% | $151 | +$99.10 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $254 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $195 | −$58.75 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $117 | −$137 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $117 | −$137 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1978 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Darnell Hillman #119 — FAQ
Is Darnell Hillman #119 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Darnell Hillman #119 sells for $195 against $1.71 raw: a $194 spread, 114× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.50) 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 Darnell Hillman #119 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darnell Hillman #119 (Basketball Cards 1978 Topps) sells for about $195 versus $1.71 for a raw near-mint copy — a 114× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Darnell Hillman #119?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $254, ahead of PSA 10 at $195. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Darnell Hillman #119 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 Darnell Hillman #119 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Darnell Hillman #119 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.50).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your basketball card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
