Is Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 250× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 sells for $100 against $0.40 raw: a $99.60 spread, 250× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.19) 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)
- $0.40
- PSA 10
- $100
- PSA 9
- $11.19
- Gem premium
- 250×
- 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 | $100 | +$74.60 | +$49.60 | −$50.40 |
| PSA 9 | $11.19 | −$14.21 | −$39.21 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $9.31 | −$16.09 | −$41.09 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $0.40 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% | $33.39 | −$17.01 |
| 50% | $55.59 | +$5.20 |
| 75% | $77.80 | +$27.40 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $100 | −$30.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 — FAQ
Is Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 sells for $100 against $0.40 raw: a $99.60 spread, 250× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($11.19) 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 Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 (Basketball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $100 versus $0.40 for a raw near-mint copy — a 250× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $100. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 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 Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Billy Knight / James Edwards / Johnny Davis #53 breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $11.19).
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