Is Mark Olberding #98 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 447× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mark Olberding #98 sells for $671 against $1.50 raw: a $670 spread, 447× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.04) 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)
- $1.50
- PSA 10
- $671
- PSA 9
- $21.04
- Gem premium
- 447×
- 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 | $671 | +$645 | +$620 | +$520 |
| PSA 9 | $21.04 | −$5.46 | −$30.46 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $4.80 | −$21.70 | −$46.70 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.50 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% | $184 | +$132 |
| 50% | $346 | +$295 |
| 75% | $509 | +$457 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 5%. 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 | $872 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $671 | −$201 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $403 | −$469 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $403 | −$469 | 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 | $671 | $403 | $872 | $403 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $59.79 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.04 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $4.80 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other 1979 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Mark Olberding #98 — FAQ
Is Mark Olberding #98 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mark Olberding #98 sells for $671 against $1.50 raw: a $670 spread, 447× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.04) 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 Mark Olberding #98 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mark Olberding #98 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $671 versus $1.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 447× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mark Olberding #98?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $872, ahead of PSA 10 at $671. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mark Olberding #98 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 Mark Olberding #98 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mark Olberding #98 breaks even when it gems about 5% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.04).
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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