Is Ray Guy #288 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1985 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ray Guy #288 sells for $1,690 against $1.23 raw: a $1,689 spread, 1374× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.00) 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)
- $1.23
- PSA 10
- $1,690
- PSA 9
- $31.00
- Gem premium
- 1374×
- 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 | $1,690 | +$1,664 | +$1,639 | +$1,539 |
| PSA 9 | $31.00 | +$4.77 | −$20.23 | −$120 |
| PSA 8 | $10.30 | −$15.93 | −$40.93 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.23 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% | $446 | +$395 |
| 50% | $861 | +$809 |
| 75% | $1,275 | +$1,224 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $2,197 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $1,690 | −$507 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,014 | −$1,183 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $1,014 | −$1,183 | 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 | $1,690 | $1,014 | $2,197 | $1,014 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $40.19 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $31.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.30 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $6.85 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Ray Guy #288 — FAQ
Is Ray Guy #288 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ray Guy #288 sells for $1,690 against $1.23 raw: a $1,689 spread, 1374× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($31.00) 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 Ray Guy #288 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ray Guy #288 (Football Cards 1985 Topps) sells for about $1,690 versus $1.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1374× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ray Guy #288?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $2,197, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,690. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ray Guy #288 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 Ray Guy #288 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ray Guy #288 breaks even when it gems about 1% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $31.00).
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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