Is Joe Ferguson #503 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 44× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Ferguson #503 sells for $69.88 against $1.58 raw: a $68.30 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.26) 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)
- $1.58
- PSA 10
- $69.88
- PSA 9
- $21.26
- Gem premium
- 44×
- 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 | $69.88 | +$43.30 | +$18.30 | −$81.70 |
| PSA 9 | $21.26 | −$5.32 | −$30.32 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $10.52 | −$16.06 | −$41.06 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.58 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% | $33.41 | −$18.16 |
| 50% | $45.57 | −$6.01 |
| 75% | $57.72 | +$6.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $91.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $69.88 | −$21.12 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $42.00 | −$49.00 | 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 Joe Ferguson #503 — FAQ
Is Joe Ferguson #503 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Ferguson #503 sells for $69.88 against $1.58 raw: a $68.30 spread, 44× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.26) 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 Joe Ferguson #503 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Ferguson #503 (Football Cards 1981 Topps) sells for about $69.88 versus $1.58 for a raw near-mint copy — a 44× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Ferguson #503?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $91.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $69.88. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Ferguson #503 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 Joe Ferguson #503 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Ferguson #503 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.26).
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