Is Soldiers of the Empire #179 worth grading?
Star Wars · 1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 71× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Soldiers of the Empire #179 sells for $80.00 against $1.12 raw: a $78.88 spread, 71× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.52) 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)
- $1.12
- PSA 10
- $80.00
- PSA 9
- $15.52
- Gem premium
- 71×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $80.00 | +$53.88 | +$28.88 | −$71.12 |
| PSA 9 | $15.52 | −$10.60 | −$35.60 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.12 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% | $31.64 | −$19.48 |
| 50% | $47.76 | −$3.36 |
| 75% | $63.88 | +$12.76 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 55%. 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 | $104 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $80.00 | −$24.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $80.00 | $48.00 | $104 | $48.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $17.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $15.52 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Soldiers of the Empire #179 — FAQ
Is Soldiers of the Empire #179 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Soldiers of the Empire #179 sells for $80.00 against $1.12 raw: a $78.88 spread, 71× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.52) 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 Soldiers of the Empire #179 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Soldiers of the Empire #179 (1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back) sells for about $80.00 versus $1.12 for a raw near-mint copy — a 71× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Soldiers of the Empire #179?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $104, ahead of PSA 10 at $80.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Soldiers of the Empire #179 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 Soldiers of the Empire #179 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Soldiers of the Empire #179 breaks even when it gems about 55% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.52).
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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