Is Super Bowl XXI #3 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1987 Topps Stickers · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 176× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Super Bowl XXI #3 sells for $43.91 against $0.25 raw: a $43.66 spread, 176× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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)
- $0.25
- PSA 10
- $43.91
- PSA 9
- $19.99
- Gem premium
- 176×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $43.91 | +$18.66 | −$6.34 | −$106 |
| PSA 9 | $19.99 | −$5.26 | −$30.26 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $0.25 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% | $25.97 | −$24.28 |
| 50% | $31.95 | −$18.30 |
| 75% | $37.93 | −$12.32 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $57.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $43.91 | −$13.09 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $26.00 | −$31.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $26.00 | −$31.00 | 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 Super Bowl XXI #3 — FAQ
Is Super Bowl XXI #3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Super Bowl XXI #3 sells for $43.91 against $0.25 raw: a $43.66 spread, 176× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.99) 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 Super Bowl XXI #3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Super Bowl XXI #3 (Football Cards 1987 Topps Stickers) sells for about $43.91 versus $0.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 176× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Super Bowl XXI #3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $57.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $43.91. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Super Bowl XXI #3 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.
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