Is Norm Nixon #97 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 1749× premium in CGC 10
A CGC 10 Norm Nixon #97 sells for $3,480 against $1.99 raw: a $3,478 spread, 1749× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.20) 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)
- $1.99
- CGC 10
- $3,480
- PSA 9
- $22.20
- Gem premium
- 1749×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $3,480 | +$3,453 | +$3,428 | +$3,328 |
| PSA 9 | $22.20 | −$4.79 | −$29.79 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $20.00 | −$6.99 | −$31.99 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $887 | +$835 |
| 50% | $1,751 | +$1,699 |
| 75% | $2,616 | +$2,564 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $3,480 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $3,480 | best | 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.
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Grading Norm Nixon #97 — FAQ
Is Norm Nixon #97 worth grading?
A CGC 10 Norm Nixon #97 sells for $3,480 against $1.99 raw: a $3,478 spread, 1749× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.20) 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.
Which grading company is best for Norm Nixon #97?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $3,480, ahead of SGC 10 at $3,480. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Norm Nixon #97 need for a CGC 10?
CGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Norm Nixon #97 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Norm Nixon #97 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.20).
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