Is Nate Archibald #100 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Nate Archibald #100 sells for $57.00 against $2.25 raw: a $54.75 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.90) 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)
- $2.25
- Grade 9.5
- $57.00
- PSA 9
- $51.90
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $57.00 | +$29.75 | +$4.75 | −$95.25 |
| PSA 9 | $51.90 | +$24.65 | −$0.35 | −$100 |
| PSA 8 | $16.56 | −$10.69 | −$35.69 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $2.25 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% | $53.17 | +$0.92 |
| 50% | $54.45 | +$2.20 |
| 75% | $55.73 | +$3.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 7%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Nate Archibald #100 — FAQ
Is Nate Archibald #100 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Nate Archibald #100 sells for $57.00 against $2.25 raw: a $54.75 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($51.90) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Nate Archibald #100 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Nate Archibald #100 breaks even when it gems about 7% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $51.90).
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