Is Jay Saldi #229 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1980 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 76× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Jay Saldi #229 sells for $137 against $1.80 raw: a $135 spread, 76× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.00) 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)
- $1.80
- PSA 10
- $137
- PSA 9
- $18.00
- Gem premium
- 76×
- 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 | $137 | +$110 | +$85.38 | −$14.62 |
| PSA 9 | $18.00 | −$8.80 | −$33.80 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $16.00 | −$10.80 | −$35.80 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $1.80 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% | $47.80 | −$4.00 |
| 50% | $77.59 | +$25.79 |
| 75% | $107 | +$55.59 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 | $178 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $137 | −$40.82 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $82.00 | −$96.00 | 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 Jay Saldi #229 — FAQ
Is Jay Saldi #229 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Jay Saldi #229 sells for $137 against $1.80 raw: a $135 spread, 76× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.00) 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 Jay Saldi #229 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Jay Saldi #229 (Football Cards 1980 Topps) sells for about $137 versus $1.80 for a raw near-mint copy — a 76× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Jay Saldi #229?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $178, ahead of PSA 10 at $137. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Jay Saldi #229 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 Jay Saldi #229 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Jay Saldi #229 breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.00).
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