Is Junior Seau #38 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1990 Action Packed Rookie Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 138× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Junior Seau #38 sells for $252 against $1.83 raw: a $250 spread, 138× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.09) 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)
- $1.83
- PSA 10
- $252
- PSA 9
- $17.09
- Gem premium
- 138×
- 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 | $252 | +$225 | +$200 | +$100 |
| PSA 9 | $17.09 | −$9.74 | −$34.74 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $10.81 | −$16.02 | −$41.02 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $1.83 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% | $75.83 | +$24.00 |
| 50% | $135 | +$82.73 |
| 75% | $193 | +$141 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $328 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $252 | −$75.97 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $151 | −$177 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $151 | −$177 | 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 Junior Seau #38 — FAQ
Is Junior Seau #38 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Junior Seau #38 sells for $252 against $1.83 raw: a $250 spread, 138× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.09) 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 Junior Seau #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Junior Seau #38 (Football Cards 1990 Action Packed Rookie Update) sells for about $252 versus $1.83 for a raw near-mint copy — a 138× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Junior Seau #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $328, ahead of PSA 10 at $252. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Junior Seau #38 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 Junior Seau #38 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Junior Seau #38 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.09).
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