Is Captain America [Blue] #185 worth grading?
Marvel · Marvel 2025 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Captain America [Blue] #185 sells for $164 against $24.35 raw: a $139 spread, 6.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $24.35
- PSA 10
- $164
- PSA 9
- $12.50
- Gem premium
- 6.7×
- As of
- Aug 15, 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 | $164 | +$114 | +$89.15 | −$10.85 |
| PSA 9 | $12.50 | −$36.85 | −$61.85 | −$162 |
| PSA 8 | $4.60 | −$44.75 | −$69.75 | −$170 |
Net = sale price − $24.35 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% | $50.25 | −$24.10 |
| 50% | $88.00 | +$13.65 |
| 75% | $126 | +$51.40 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $213 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $164 | −$49.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $98.00 | −$115 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $98.00 | −$115 | 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 | $164 | $98.00 | $213 | $98.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $14.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $4.60 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Captain America [Blue] #185 — FAQ
Is Captain America [Blue] #185 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Captain America [Blue] #185 sells for $164 against $24.35 raw: a $139 spread, 6.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Captain America [Blue] #185 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Captain America [Blue] #185 (Marvel 2025 Topps Chrome) sells for about $164 versus $24.35 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.7× premium as of Aug 15, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Captain America [Blue] #185?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $213, ahead of PSA 10 at $164. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Captain America [Blue] #185 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 Captain America [Blue] #185 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Captain America [Blue] #185 breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.50).
Is your Marvel 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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