Is Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 2023 Topps Chrome First Appearance · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.7× premium in SGC 10
A SGC 10 Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 sells for $279 against $60.00 raw: a $219 spread, 4.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($70.00) 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)
- $60.00
- SGC 10
- $279
- PSA 9
- $70.00
- Gem premium
- 4.7×
- As of
- Sep 27, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — SGC 10 | $279 | +$194 | +$169 | +$69.00 |
| PSA 9 | $70.00 | −$15.00 | −$40.00 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $60.00 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% | $122 | +$12.25 |
| 50% | $175 | +$64.50 |
| 75% | $227 | +$117 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $279 | best | 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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Raw conditions & history →Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 — FAQ
Is Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 worth grading?
A SGC 10 Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 sells for $279 against $60.00 raw: a $219 spread, 4.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($70.00) 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.
What centering does Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Darth Vader [Gold Refractor] #FA-1 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $70.00).
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