Is Louis Lipps worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1988 Kenner Starting Lineup · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.4× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Louis Lipps sells for $100 against $13.59 raw: a $86.41 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.64) 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)
- $13.59
- PSA 10
- $100
- PSA 9
- $15.64
- Gem premium
- 7.4×
- 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 | $100 | +$61.41 | +$36.41 | −$63.59 |
| PSA 9 | $15.64 | −$22.95 | −$47.95 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $1.83 | −$36.76 | −$61.76 | −$162 |
Net = sale price − $13.59 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% | $36.73 | −$26.86 |
| 50% | $57.82 | −$5.77 |
| 75% | $78.91 | +$15.32 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 57%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $100 | −$30.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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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Other 1988 Kenner Starting Lineup cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Louis Lipps — FAQ
Is Louis Lipps worth grading?
A PSA 10 Louis Lipps sells for $100 against $13.59 raw: a $86.41 spread, 7.4× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.64) 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 Louis Lipps worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Louis Lipps (Football Cards 1988 Kenner Starting Lineup) sells for about $100 versus $13.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.4× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Louis Lipps?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $100. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Louis Lipps 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 Louis Lipps break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Louis Lipps breaks even when it gems about 57% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.64).
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