Is Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 sells for $83.88 against $1.79 raw: a $82.09 spread, 47× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($27.64) 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)
- $1.79
- PSA 10
- $83.88
- PSA 9
- $27.64
- Gem premium
- 47×
- 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 | $83.88 | +$57.09 | +$32.09 | −$67.91 |
| PSA 9 | $27.64 | +$0.85 | −$24.15 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $10.16 | −$16.63 | −$41.63 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.79 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% | $41.70 | −$10.09 |
| 50% | $55.76 | +$3.97 |
| 75% | $69.82 | +$18.03 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 43%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $83.88 | −$25.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 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 Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 — FAQ
Is Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 sells for $83.88 against $1.79 raw: a $82.09 spread, 47× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($27.64) 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 Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 (Basketball Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $83.88 versus $1.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 47× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $83.88. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 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 Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Boswell / James McElroy / Leon Douglas #27 / 85 / 238 breaks even when it gems about 43% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.64).
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