Is Emmitt Smith #490 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1992 Fleer Gameday · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 18× premium in SGC 10
A SGC 10 Emmitt Smith #490 sells for $49.99 against $2.77 raw: a $47.22 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.50) 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)
- $2.77
- SGC 10
- $49.99
- PSA 9
- $15.50
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 — SGC 10 | $49.99 | +$22.22 | −$2.78 | −$103 |
| PSA 9 | $15.50 | −$12.27 | −$37.27 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $11.00 | −$16.77 | −$41.77 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.77 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% | $24.12 | −$28.65 |
| 50% | $32.75 | −$20.02 |
| 75% | $41.37 | −$11.40 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $49.99 | best | 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 Emmitt Smith #490 — FAQ
Is Emmitt Smith #490 worth grading?
A SGC 10 Emmitt Smith #490 sells for $49.99 against $2.77 raw: a $47.22 spread, 18× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.50) 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.
What centering does Emmitt Smith #490 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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.
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