Is Sidney Wicks #16 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 1018× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sidney Wicks #16 sells for $1,455 against $1.43 raw: a $1,454 spread, 1018× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.95) 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)
- $1.43
- PSA 10
- $1,455
- PSA 9
- $24.95
- Gem premium
- 1018×
- 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 | $1,455 | +$1,429 | +$1,404 | +$1,304 |
| PSA 9 | $24.95 | −$1.48 | −$26.48 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $9.99 | −$16.44 | −$41.44 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.43 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% | $383 | +$331 |
| 50% | $740 | +$689 |
| 75% | $1,098 | +$1,046 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $1,892 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,455 | −$437 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $873 | −$1,019 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $873 | −$1,019 | 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 | $1,455 | $873 | $1,892 | $873 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $48.58 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $24.95 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $9.99 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $4.10 |
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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Full set checklist →Grading Sidney Wicks #16 — FAQ
Is Sidney Wicks #16 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sidney Wicks #16 sells for $1,455 against $1.43 raw: a $1,454 spread, 1018× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.95) 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 Sidney Wicks #16 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sidney Wicks #16 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $1,455 versus $1.43 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1018× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sidney Wicks #16?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,892, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,455. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sidney Wicks #16 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 Sidney Wicks #16 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sidney Wicks #16 breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.95).
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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