![Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 (Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Chrome) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UdEAAeSw24RqYjC0/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 sells for $137 against $7.59 raw: a $129 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($30.72) 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)
- $7.59
- PSA 10
- $137
- PSA 9
- $30.72
- Gem premium
- 18×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $137 | +$104 | +$79.24 | −$20.76 |
| PSA 9 | $30.72 | −$1.87 | −$26.87 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $16.23 | −$16.36 | −$41.36 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $7.59 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% | $57.25 | −$0.34 |
| 50% | $83.78 | +$26.19 |
| 75% | $110 | +$52.71 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $178 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $137 | −$41.17 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 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 | $137 | $82.00 | $178 | $82.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $50.85 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $30.72 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $16.23 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2002 Topps Chrome cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
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Grading Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 — FAQ
Is Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 sells for $137 against $7.59 raw: a $129 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($30.72) 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 Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 (Baseball Cards 2002 Topps Chrome) sells for about $137 versus $7.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $178, ahead of PSA 10 at $137. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 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 Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Billy Wagner [Gold Refractor] #172 breaks even when it gems about 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $30.72).
Is your baseball 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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