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 $27.99 raw: a $2,198 spread, 80× 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)
- $27.99
- PSA 10
- $2,226
- PSA 9
- $158
- Gem premium
- 80×
- 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 | $2,226 | +$2,173 | +$2,148 | +$2,048 |
| PSA 9 | $158 | +$105 | +$79.51 | −$20.49 |
| PSA 8 | $64.41 | +$11.42 | −$13.58 | −$114 |
Net = sale price − $27.99 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% | $675 | +$597 |
| 50% | $1,192 | +$1,114 |
| 75% | $1,709 | +$1,631 |
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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,226 | $1,335 | $2,893 | $1,335 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $458 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $158 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $64.41 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $40.00 |
Run your own numbers
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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 $27.99 raw: a $2,198 spread, 80× 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 $27.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 80× premium as of Jul 11, 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.
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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