Is Emperor Palpatine #19 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 1996 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 27× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Emperor Palpatine #19 sells for $68.50 against $2.55 raw: a $65.95 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.16) 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)
- $2.55
- PSA 10
- $68.50
- PSA 9
- $26.16
- Gem premium
- 27×
- As of
- Oct 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 | $68.50 | +$40.95 | +$15.95 | −$84.05 |
| PSA 9 | $26.16 | −$1.39 | −$26.39 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $2.55 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% | $36.75 | −$15.80 |
| 50% | $47.33 | −$5.22 |
| 75% | $57.91 | +$5.37 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $68.50 | −$20.50 | 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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Grading Emperor Palpatine #19 — FAQ
Is Emperor Palpatine #19 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Emperor Palpatine #19 sells for $68.50 against $2.55 raw: a $65.95 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.16) 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 Emperor Palpatine #19 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Emperor Palpatine #19 (Star Wars 1996 Topps) sells for about $68.50 versus $2.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Oct 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Emperor Palpatine #19?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $89.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $68.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Emperor Palpatine #19 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 Emperor Palpatine #19 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Emperor Palpatine #19 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.16).
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