Is John Williamson #55 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 John Williamson #55 sells for $54.00 against $1.38 raw: a $52.62 spread, 39× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.11) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.38
- Grade 9.5
- $54.00
- PSA 9
- $49.11
- Gem premium
- 39×
- As of
- Sep 3, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $54.00 | +$27.62 | +$2.62 | −$97.38 |
| PSA 9 | $49.11 | +$22.73 | −$2.27 | −$102 |
| PSA 8 | $16.74 | −$9.64 | −$34.64 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $1.38 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% | $50.33 | −$1.05 |
| 50% | $51.55 | +$0.17 |
| 75% | $52.78 | +$1.40 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 46%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading John Williamson #55 — FAQ
Is John Williamson #55 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 John Williamson #55 sells for $54.00 against $1.38 raw: a $52.62 spread, 39× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.11) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading John Williamson #55 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Williamson #55 breaks even when it gems about 46% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.11).
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