Is The fantastic droid Threepio! #153 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 The fantastic droid Threepio! #153 sells for $155 against $1.75 raw: a $153 spread, 89× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($141) 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)
- $1.75
- Grade 9.5
- $155
- PSA 9
- $141
- Gem premium
- 89×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $155 | +$128 | +$103 | +$3.25 |
| PSA 9 | $141 | +$114 | +$89.01 | −$10.99 |
| PSA 8 | $32.66 | +$5.91 | −$19.09 | −$119 |
Net = sale price − $1.75 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% | $144 | +$92.57 |
| 50% | $148 | +$96.13 |
| 75% | $151 | +$99.69 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading The fantastic droid Threepio! #153 — FAQ
Is The fantastic droid Threepio! #153 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 The fantastic droid Threepio! #153 sells for $155 against $1.75 raw: a $153 spread, 89× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($141) 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.
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