Is Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 69× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 sells for $86.00 against $1.25 raw: a $84.75 spread, 69× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.45) 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)
- $1.25
- PSA 10
- $86.00
- PSA 9
- $20.45
- Gem premium
- 69×
- 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 | $86.00 | +$59.75 | +$34.75 | −$65.25 |
| PSA 9 | $20.45 | −$5.80 | −$30.80 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $7.29 | −$18.96 | −$43.96 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.25 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% | $36.84 | −$14.41 |
| 50% | $53.23 | +$1.98 |
| 75% | $69.61 | +$18.36 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 47%. 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 | $112 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $86.00 | −$26.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $52.00 | −$60.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $52.00 | −$60.00 | 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 | $86.00 | $52.00 | $112 | $52.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $45.72 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.45 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $7.29 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.50 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 — FAQ
Is Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 sells for $86.00 against $1.25 raw: a $84.75 spread, 69× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.45) 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 Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 (Football Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $86.00 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 69× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $112, ahead of PSA 10 at $86.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 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 Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ed 'Too Tall' Jones #185 breaks even when it gems about 47% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.45).
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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