Is Escaping from stormtroopers! #165 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Escaping from stormtroopers! #165 sells for $96.00 against $2.68 raw: a $93.32 spread, 36× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($87.38) 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)
- $2.68
- Grade 9.5
- $96.00
- PSA 9
- $87.38
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $96.00 | +$68.32 | +$43.32 | −$56.68 |
| PSA 9 | $87.38 | +$59.70 | +$34.70 | −$65.30 |
| PSA 8 | $37.40 | +$9.72 | −$15.28 | −$115 |
Net = sale price − $2.68 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% | $89.53 | +$36.85 |
| 50% | $91.69 | +$39.01 |
| 75% | $93.84 | +$41.16 |
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 Escaping from stormtroopers! #165 — FAQ
Is Escaping from stormtroopers! #165 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Escaping from stormtroopers! #165 sells for $96.00 against $2.68 raw: a $93.32 spread, 36× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($87.38) 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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