Is Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 sells for $8,051 against $66.25 raw: a $7,984 spread, 122× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($600) 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)
- $66.25
- PSA 10
- $8,051
- PSA 9
- $600
- Gem premium
- 122×
- 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 | $8,051 | +$7,959 | +$7,934 | +$7,834 |
| PSA 9 | $600 | +$509 | +$484 | +$384 |
| PSA 8 | $180 | +$88.25 | +$63.25 | −$36.75 |
Net = sale price − $66.25 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% | $2,463 | +$2,346 |
| 50% | $4,325 | +$4,209 |
| 75% | $6,188 | +$6,072 |
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 | $10,466 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $8,051 | −$2,415 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $4,830 | −$5,636 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $4,830 | −$5,636 | 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 Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 — FAQ
Is Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 sells for $8,051 against $66.25 raw: a $7,984 spread, 122× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($600) 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 Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 (Basketball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $8,051 versus $66.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 122× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $10,466, ahead of PSA 10 at $8,051. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Larry Bird / Bill Cartwright / John Drew #23 / 34 / 164 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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