Is Stormtroopers search the spaceport! #179 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Stormtroopers search the spaceport! #179 sells for $83.00 against $1.29 raw: a $81.71 spread, 64× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($75.00) 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)
- $1.29
- Grade 9.5
- $83.00
- PSA 9
- $75.00
- Gem premium
- 64×
- As of
- Aug 16, 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 | $83.00 | +$56.71 | +$31.71 | −$68.29 |
| PSA 9 | $75.00 | +$48.71 | +$23.71 | −$76.29 |
| PSA 8 | $22.38 | −$3.91 | −$28.91 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $1.29 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% | $77.00 | +$25.71 |
| 50% | $79.00 | +$27.71 |
| 75% | $81.00 | +$29.71 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $83.00 |
| 9 | $75.00 |
| 8 | $22.38 |
| 7 | $22.10 |
Run your own numbers
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Other Star Wars 1977 Topps cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Stormtroopers search the spaceport! #179 — FAQ
Is Stormtroopers search the spaceport! #179 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Stormtroopers search the spaceport! #179 sells for $83.00 against $1.29 raw: a $81.71 spread, 64× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($75.00) 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.
Is your Star Wars card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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