Is John Gilliam #418 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Gilliam #418 sells for $63.50 against $1.51 raw: a $61.99 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.98) 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)
- $1.51
- PSA 10
- $63.50
- PSA 9
- $15.98
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $63.50 | +$36.99 | +$11.99 | −$88.01 |
| PSA 9 | $15.98 | −$10.53 | −$35.53 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $8.50 | −$18.01 | −$43.01 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.51 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% | $27.86 | −$23.65 |
| 50% | $39.74 | −$11.77 |
| 75% | $51.62 | +$0.11 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 75%. 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 | $83.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $63.50 | −$19.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $38.00 | −$45.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $38.00 | −$45.00 | 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 #418 — FAQ
Is John Gilliam #418 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Gilliam #418 sells for $63.50 against $1.51 raw: a $61.99 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.98) 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 #418 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Gilliam #418 (Football Cards 1977 Topps) sells for about $63.50 versus $1.51 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Gilliam #418?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $83.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $63.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Gilliam #418 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 #418 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Gilliam #418 breaks even when it gems about 75% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.98).
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