Is Pretty as a Princess #81 worth grading?
Star Wars · 1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Pretty as a Princess #81 sells for $733 against $2.12 raw: a $731 spread, 346× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.50) 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)
- $2.12
- PSA 10
- $733
- PSA 9
- $42.50
- Gem premium
- 346×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $733 | +$706 | +$681 | +$581 |
| PSA 9 | $42.50 | +$15.38 | −$9.62 | −$110 |
| PSA 8 | $25.00 | −$2.12 | −$27.12 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $2.12 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% | $215 | +$163 |
| 50% | $388 | +$336 |
| 75% | $561 | +$508 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 | $953 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $733 | −$220 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $440 | −$513 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $440 | −$513 | 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 Pretty as a Princess #81 — FAQ
Is Pretty as a Princess #81 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Pretty as a Princess #81 sells for $733 against $2.12 raw: a $731 spread, 346× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.50) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Pretty as a Princess #81 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Pretty as a Princess #81 (1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back) sells for about $733 versus $2.12 for a raw near-mint copy — a 346× premium as of Sep 27, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Pretty as a Princess #81?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $953, ahead of PSA 10 at $733. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Pretty as a Princess #81 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 Pretty as a Princess #81 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pretty as a Princess #81 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.50).
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