Is John Elway #88 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1990 Pro Set · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 73× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Elway #88 sells for $60.00 against $0.82 raw: a $59.18 spread, 73× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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)
- $0.82
- PSA 10
- $60.00
- PSA 9
- $20.00
- Gem premium
- 73×
- 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 | $60.00 | +$34.18 | +$9.18 | −$90.82 |
| PSA 9 | $20.00 | −$5.82 | −$30.82 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $5.26 | −$20.56 | −$45.56 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $0.82 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% | $30.00 | −$20.82 |
| 50% | $40.00 | −$10.82 |
| 75% | $50.00 | −$0.82 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 77%. 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 | $78.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $60.00 | −$18.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $36.00 | −$42.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $60.00 | $36.00 | $78.00 | $36.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $20.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $5.26 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $4.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1990 Pro Set cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Barry Sanders [Hawaii Trade Show] #1 1990 Pro Set card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/A6UAAeSwQ~FqSUOO/s-l500.jpg)
![Vince Lombardi [Trophy Hologram] 1990 Pro Set card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wGIAAeSwt4FqUxCI/s-l500.jpg)
Grading John Elway #88 — FAQ
Is John Elway #88 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Elway #88 sells for $60.00 against $0.82 raw: a $59.18 spread, 73× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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 John Elway #88 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Elway #88 (Football Cards 1990 Pro Set) sells for about $60.00 versus $0.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 73× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Elway #88?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $78.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $60.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Elway #88 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 John Elway #88 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Elway #88 breaks even when it gems about 77% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.00).
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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