Is Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 131× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 sells for $209 against $1.60 raw: a $207 spread, 131× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.33) 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)
- $1.60
- PSA 10
- $209
- PSA 9
- $25.33
- Gem premium
- 131×
- 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 | $209 | +$182 | +$157 | +$57.28 |
| PSA 9 | $25.33 | −$1.27 | −$26.27 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $14.99 | −$11.61 | −$36.61 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.60 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% | $71.22 | +$19.62 |
| 50% | $117 | +$65.50 |
| 75% | $163 | +$111 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $272 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $209 | −$63.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $125 | −$147 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $125 | −$147 | 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 Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 — FAQ
Is Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 sells for $209 against $1.60 raw: a $207 spread, 131× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.33) 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 Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 (Basketball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $209 versus $1.60 for a raw near-mint copy — a 131× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $272, ahead of PSA 10 at $209. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 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 Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lonnie Shelton / Larry Kenon / Kermit Washington #203 / 205 / 231 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.33).
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