Is St. Louis Cardinals #473 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1976 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 84× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 St. Louis Cardinals #473 sells for $163 against $1.94 raw: a $161 spread, 84× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.77) 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)
- $1.94
- PSA 10
- $163
- PSA 9
- $26.77
- Gem premium
- 84×
- As of
- Oct 13, 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 | $163 | +$136 | +$111 | +$10.56 |
| PSA 9 | $26.77 | −$0.17 | −$25.17 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $14.95 | −$11.99 | −$36.99 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $1.94 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% | $60.70 | +$8.76 |
| 50% | $94.64 | +$42.70 |
| 75% | $129 | +$76.63 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 19%. 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 | $211 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $163 | −$48.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $98.00 | −$113 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $98.00 | −$113 | 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 St. Louis Cardinals #473 — FAQ
Is St. Louis Cardinals #473 worth grading?
A PSA 10 St. Louis Cardinals #473 sells for $163 against $1.94 raw: a $161 spread, 84× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.77) 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 St. Louis Cardinals #473 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 St. Louis Cardinals #473 (Football Cards 1976 Topps) sells for about $163 versus $1.94 for a raw near-mint copy — a 84× premium as of Oct 13, 2026.
Which grading company is best for St. Louis Cardinals #473?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $211, ahead of PSA 10 at $163. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does St. Louis Cardinals #473 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 St. Louis Cardinals #473 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting St. Louis Cardinals #473 breaks even when it gems about 19% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.77).
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