Is Elvin Bethea #506 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1977 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 49× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Elvin Bethea #506 sells for $97.69 against $1.99 raw: a $95.70 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.47) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $97.69
- PSA 9
- $24.47
- Gem premium
- 49×
- 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 | $97.69 | +$70.70 | +$45.70 | −$54.30 |
| PSA 9 | $24.47 | −$2.52 | −$27.52 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $18.93 | −$8.06 | −$33.06 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $42.77 | −$9.22 |
| 50% | $61.08 | +$9.09 |
| 75% | $79.38 | +$27.39 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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 | $127 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $97.69 | −$29.31 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $59.00 | −$68.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $59.00 | −$68.00 | 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 Elvin Bethea #506 — FAQ
Is Elvin Bethea #506 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Elvin Bethea #506 sells for $97.69 against $1.99 raw: a $95.70 spread, 49× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.47) 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 Elvin Bethea #506 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Elvin Bethea #506 (Football Cards 1977 Topps) sells for about $97.69 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 49× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Elvin Bethea #506?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $127, ahead of PSA 10 at $97.69. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Elvin Bethea #506 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 Elvin Bethea #506 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Elvin Bethea #506 breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.47).
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