Is Elmore Smith #117 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 1421× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Elmore Smith #117 sells for $2,216 against $1.56 raw: a $2,214 spread, 1421× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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)
- $1.56
- PSA 10
- $2,216
- PSA 9
- $14.99
- Gem premium
- 1421×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $2,216 | +$2,189 | +$2,164 | +$2,064 |
| PSA 9 | $14.99 | −$11.57 | −$36.57 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $4.99 | −$21.57 | −$46.57 | −$147 |
Net = sale price − $1.56 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% | $565 | +$514 |
| 50% | $1,115 | +$1,064 |
| 75% | $1,666 | +$1,614 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $2,881 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,216 | −$665 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,330 | −$1,551 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,330 | −$1,551 | 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 Elmore Smith #117 — FAQ
Is Elmore Smith #117 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Elmore Smith #117 sells for $2,216 against $1.56 raw: a $2,214 spread, 1421× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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 Elmore Smith #117 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Elmore Smith #117 (Basketball Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $2,216 versus $1.56 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1421× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Elmore Smith #117?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,881, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,216. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Elmore Smith #117 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 Elmore Smith #117 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Elmore Smith #117 breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.99).
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