Is Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 sells for $2,226 against $32.00 raw: a $2,194 spread, 70× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($158) 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)
- $32.00
- PSA 10
- $2,226
- PSA 9
- $158
- Gem premium
- 70×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $2,226 | +$2,169 | +$2,144 | +$2,044 |
| PSA 9 | $158 | +$101 | +$75.50 | −$24.50 |
| PSA 8 | $65.00 | +$8.00 | −$17.00 | −$117 |
Net = sale price − $32.00 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% | $675 | +$593 |
| 50% | $1,192 | +$1,110 |
| 75% | $1,709 | +$1,627 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $2,893 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $2,226 | −$668 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,335 | −$1,558 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,335 | −$1,558 | 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 Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 — FAQ
Is Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 sells for $2,226 against $32.00 raw: a $2,194 spread, 70× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($158) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 (Basketball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $2,226 versus $32.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 70× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,893, ahead of PSA 10 at $2,226. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Fred Brown / Larry Bird / Ron Brewer #31 / 198 / 228 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.
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