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Adrian Dantley #54 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) — is it worth grading?

Is Adrian Dantley #54 worth grading?

Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →

Strong grading candidate — 1857× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Adrian Dantley #54 sells for $3,584 against $1.93 raw: a $3,582 spread, 1857× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.01) 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)
$1.93
PSA 10
$3,584
PSA 9
$22.01
Gem premium
1857×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Adrian Dantley #54: 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$3,584+$3,557+$3,532+$3,432
PSA 9$22.01−$4.92−$29.92−$130
PSA 8$7.55−$19.38−$44.38−$144

Net = sale price − $1.93 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?

Adrian Dantley #54: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$912+$861
50%$1,803+$1,751
75%$2,693+$2,641

Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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
Adrian Dantley #54: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$4,659best55/4570/30
PSA 10$3,584−$1,07555/4575/25
CGC 10$2,150−$2,50955/4575/25
SGC 10$2,150−$2,50955/4575/25

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.

Adrian Dantley #54 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$3,584$2,150$4,659$2,150
9.5$55.66
9$22.01
8$7.55
7$4.62

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 Adrian Dantley #54 — FAQ

Is Adrian Dantley #54 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Adrian Dantley #54 sells for $3,584 against $1.93 raw: a $3,582 spread, 1857× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.01) 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 Adrian Dantley #54 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Adrian Dantley #54 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $3,584 versus $1.93 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1857× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Adrian Dantley #54?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $4,659, ahead of PSA 10 at $3,584. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Adrian Dantley #54 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 Adrian Dantley #54 break even?

At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Adrian Dantley #54 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.01).

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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