Is San Francisco 49ers #38 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1979 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 99× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 San Francisco 49ers #38 sells for $216 against $2.19 raw: a $214 spread, 99× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.84) 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)
- $2.19
- PSA 10
- $216
- PSA 9
- $19.84
- Gem premium
- 99×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $216 | +$189 | +$164 | +$63.68 |
| PSA 9 | $19.84 | −$7.35 | −$32.35 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $7.50 | −$19.69 | −$44.69 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $2.19 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% | $68.85 | +$16.66 |
| 50% | $118 | +$65.67 |
| 75% | $167 | +$115 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $281 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $216 | −$65.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $130 | −$151 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $130 | −$151 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $216 | $130 | $281 | $130 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $70.04 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.84 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1979 Topps cards worth checking
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Grading San Francisco 49ers #38 — FAQ
Is San Francisco 49ers #38 worth grading?
A PSA 10 San Francisco 49ers #38 sells for $216 against $2.19 raw: a $214 spread, 99× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.84) 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 San Francisco 49ers #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 San Francisco 49ers #38 (Football Cards 1979 Topps) sells for about $216 versus $2.19 for a raw near-mint copy — a 99× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for San Francisco 49ers #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $281, ahead of PSA 10 at $216. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does San Francisco 49ers #38 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 San Francisco 49ers #38 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting San Francisco 49ers #38 breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.84).
Is your football card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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