
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
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / 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?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected 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 →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $4,659 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $3,584 | −$1,075 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $2,150 | −$2,509 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $2,150 | −$2,509 | 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 | $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.
Other 1979 Topps cards worth checking
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.
Check my card free