Is Sidney Thornton #61 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 98× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sidney Thornton #61 sells for $135 against $1.37 raw: a $134 spread, 98× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.27) 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)
- $1.37
- PSA 10
- $135
- PSA 9
- $26.27
- Gem premium
- 98×
- 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 | $135 | +$109 | +$83.51 | −$16.49 |
| PSA 9 | $26.27 | −$0.10 | −$25.10 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $11.76 | −$14.61 | −$39.61 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.37 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% | $53.42 | +$2.05 |
| 50% | $80.58 | +$29.20 |
| 75% | $108 | +$56.36 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 23%. 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 | $175 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $135 | −$40.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $81.00 | −$94.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $81.00 | −$94.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $135 | $81.00 | $175 | $81.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $75.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $26.27 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $11.76 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $9.00 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Sidney Thornton #61 — FAQ
Is Sidney Thornton #61 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sidney Thornton #61 sells for $135 against $1.37 raw: a $134 spread, 98× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.27) 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 Sidney Thornton #61 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sidney Thornton #61 (Football Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $135 versus $1.37 for a raw near-mint copy — a 98× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sidney Thornton #61?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $175, ahead of PSA 10 at $135. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sidney Thornton #61 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 Sidney Thornton #61 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sidney Thornton #61 breaks even when it gems about 23% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.27).
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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