Is Tom Dempsey #163 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1975 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 68× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tom Dempsey #163 sells for $247 against $3.63 raw: a $243 spread, 68× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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)
- $3.63
- PSA 10
- $247
- PSA 9
- $19.99
- Gem premium
- 68×
- 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 | $247 | +$218 | +$193 | +$92.87 |
| PSA 9 | $19.99 | −$8.64 | −$33.64 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $10.69 | −$17.94 | −$42.94 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $3.63 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% | $76.62 | +$22.99 |
| 50% | $133 | +$79.62 |
| 75% | $190 | +$136 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $320 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $247 | −$73.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $148 | −$172 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $148 | −$172 | 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 Tom Dempsey #163 — FAQ
Is Tom Dempsey #163 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Dempsey #163 sells for $247 against $3.63 raw: a $243 spread, 68× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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 Tom Dempsey #163 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Dempsey #163 (Football Cards 1975 Topps) sells for about $247 versus $3.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 68× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Dempsey #163?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $320, ahead of PSA 10 at $247. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Dempsey #163 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 Tom Dempsey #163 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Dempsey #163 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.99).
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