Is Emmitt Smith #27T worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1990 Topps Traded · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 15× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #27T sells for $217 against $14.00 raw: a $203 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($34.00) 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)
- $14.00
- PSA 10
- $217
- PSA 9
- $34.00
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $217 | +$178 | +$153 | +$52.98 |
| PSA 9 | $34.00 | −$5.00 | −$30.00 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $23.62 | −$15.38 | −$40.38 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $14.00 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% | $79.75 | +$15.75 |
| 50% | $125 | +$61.49 |
| 75% | $171 | +$107 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. 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 | $1,600 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $217 | −$1,383 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $99.00 | −$1,501 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $88.00 | −$1,512 | 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 | $217 | $99.00 | $1,600 | $88.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $57.36 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $34.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $23.62 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $15.79 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Emmitt Smith #27T — FAQ
Is Emmitt Smith #27T worth grading?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #27T sells for $217 against $14.00 raw: a $203 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($34.00) 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 Emmitt Smith #27T worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #27T (Football Cards 1990 Topps Traded) sells for about $217 versus $14.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Emmitt Smith #27T?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,600, ahead of PSA 10 at $217. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Emmitt Smith #27T 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 #27T break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Emmitt Smith #27T breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $34.00).
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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