Is James Lofton #83 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1983 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 37× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 James Lofton #83 sells for $66.01 against $1.80 raw: a $64.21 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.33) 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
- $66.01
- PSA 9
- $19.33
- Gem premium
- 37×
- 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 | $66.01 | +$39.21 | +$14.21 | −$85.79 |
| PSA 9 | $19.33 | −$7.47 | −$32.47 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $19.05 | −$7.75 | −$32.75 | −$133 |
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% | $31.00 | −$20.80 |
| 50% | $42.67 | −$9.13 |
| 75% | $54.34 | +$2.54 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 70%. 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 | $86.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $66.01 | −$19.99 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | −$46.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $40.00 | −$46.00 | 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 | $66.01 | $40.00 | $86.00 | $40.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $53.18 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.33 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.05 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading James Lofton #83 — FAQ
Is James Lofton #83 worth grading?
A PSA 10 James Lofton #83 sells for $66.01 against $1.80 raw: a $64.21 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.33) 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 James Lofton #83 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 James Lofton #83 (Football Cards 1983 Topps) sells for about $66.01 versus $1.80 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for James Lofton #83?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $86.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $66.01. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does James Lofton #83 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 James Lofton #83 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting James Lofton #83 breaks even when it gems about 70% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.33).
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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