![Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 (Football Cards 1983 Topps) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OCEAAeSw4NdqVkmJ/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1983 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 sells for $406 against $2.41 raw: a $404 spread, 168× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.50) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.41
- PSA 10
- $406
- PSA 9
- $47.50
- Gem premium
- 168×
- 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 | $406 | +$379 | +$354 | +$254 |
| PSA 9 | $47.50 | +$20.09 | −$4.91 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $21.26 | −$6.15 | −$31.15 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $2.41 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% | $137 | +$84.72 |
| 50% | $227 | +$174 |
| 75% | $316 | +$264 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 1%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $406 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $326 | −$80.00 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $244 | −$162 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $244 | −$162 | 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 | $406 | $244 | $326 | $244 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $77.92 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $47.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $21.26 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $14.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1983 Topps cards worth checking
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Grading Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 — FAQ
Is Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 sells for $406 against $2.41 raw: a $404 spread, 168× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($47.50) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 (Football Cards 1983 Topps) sells for about $406 versus $2.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 168× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $406, ahead of BGS 10 at $326. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Montana [Record Breaker] #4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Montana [Record Breaker] #4 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $47.50).
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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