Is John Long #83 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 55× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Long #83 sells for $68.63 against $1.25 raw: a $67.38 spread, 55× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.01) 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)
- $1.25
- PSA 10
- $68.63
- PSA 9
- $24.01
- Gem premium
- 55×
- 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 | $68.63 | +$42.38 | +$17.38 | −$82.62 |
| PSA 9 | $24.01 | −$2.24 | −$27.24 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $7.91 | −$18.34 | −$43.34 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.25 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% | $35.16 | −$16.09 |
| 50% | $46.32 | −$4.93 |
| 75% | $57.47 | +$6.22 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 61%. 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 | $89.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $68.63 | −$20.37 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $41.00 | −$48.00 | 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.
Other 1981 Topps cards worth checking
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Grading John Long #83 — FAQ
Is John Long #83 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Long #83 sells for $68.63 against $1.25 raw: a $67.38 spread, 55× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.01) 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 John Long #83 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Long #83 (Basketball Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $68.63 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 55× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Long #83?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $89.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.63. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Long #83 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 John Long #83 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Long #83 breaks even when it gems about 61% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.01).
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