Is Emmitt Smith #U-40 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1990 Fleer Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 7.7× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #U-40 sells for $131 against $16.99 raw: a $114 spread, 7.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.99) 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)
- $16.99
- PSA 10
- $131
- PSA 9
- $29.99
- Gem premium
- 7.7×
- 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 | $131 | +$89.25 | +$64.25 | −$35.75 |
| PSA 9 | $29.99 | −$12.00 | −$37.00 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $24.56 | −$17.43 | −$42.43 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $16.99 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% | $55.30 | −$11.69 |
| 50% | $80.62 | +$13.63 |
| 75% | $106 | +$38.94 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 37%. 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 | $171 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $131 | −$39.76 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $85.00 | −$86.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $65.00 | −$106 | 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 | $131 | $65.00 | $171 | $85.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $55.50 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $24.56 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $14.56 |
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 Emmitt Smith #U-40 — FAQ
Is Emmitt Smith #U-40 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #U-40 sells for $131 against $16.99 raw: a $114 spread, 7.7× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.99) 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 Emmitt Smith #U-40 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #U-40 (Football Cards 1990 Fleer Update) sells for about $131 versus $16.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 7.7× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Emmitt Smith #U-40?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $171, ahead of PSA 10 at $131. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Emmitt Smith #U-40 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 Emmitt Smith #U-40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Emmitt Smith #U-40 breaks even when it gems about 37% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.99).
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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