Is John Gilliam #240 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1974 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 83× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Gilliam #240 sells for $135 against $1.64 raw: a $134 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.16) 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)
- $1.64
- PSA 10
- $135
- PSA 9
- $25.16
- Gem premium
- 83×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $135 | +$109 | +$83.67 | −$16.33 |
| PSA 9 | $25.16 | −$1.48 | −$26.48 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $11.99 | −$14.65 | −$39.65 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.64 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% | $52.70 | +$1.06 |
| 50% | $80.23 | +$28.59 |
| 75% | $108 | +$56.13 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 24%. 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 | $176 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $135 | −$40.69 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $81.00 | −$95.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $81.00 | −$95.00 | 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.
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Grading John Gilliam #240 — FAQ
Is John Gilliam #240 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Gilliam #240 sells for $135 against $1.64 raw: a $134 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.16) 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 John Gilliam #240 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Gilliam #240 (Football Cards 1974 Topps) sells for about $135 versus $1.64 for a raw near-mint copy — a 83× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Gilliam #240?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $176, ahead of PSA 10 at $135. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Gilliam #240 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 John Gilliam #240 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Gilliam #240 breaks even when it gems about 24% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.16).
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