1981 Topps Elvin Hayes #42

1981 Topps Elvin Hayes #42 value & prices

The 1981 Topps Elvin Hayes #42 is a Basketball card released in 1981. Ungraded copies carry a market value of about $1.40.

An ungraded copy is worth around $1.40, a PSA 9 around $31.81, a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) around $293.00 and a pristine BGS 10 around $381.00. That's roughly a 209× premium for a gem-mint copy over raw — one of the clearest signals that condition-sensitive buyers dominate this card's market.

Is it worth grading?

With raw copies near $1.40 and top grades reaching $293.00, grading a sharp copy of this card can clearly pay for itself — the spread comfortably covers a typical ~$25.00 grading fee. The catch: only submit copies with strong centering, clean corners, and unmarked surfaces, because anything below a 9 usually erases the math.