Is John Elway #125 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1992 Topps Gold · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 42× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Elway #125 sells for $343 against $8.09 raw: a $335 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.24) 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)
- $8.09
- PSA 10
- $343
- PSA 9
- $29.24
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $343 | +$310 | +$285 | +$185 |
| PSA 9 | $29.24 | −$3.85 | −$28.85 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $28.34 | −$4.75 | −$29.75 | −$130 |
Net = sale price − $8.09 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% | $108 | +$49.60 |
| 50% | $186 | +$128 |
| 75% | $265 | +$207 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. 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 | $446 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $343 | −$103 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $206 | −$240 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $206 | −$240 | 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 John Elway #125 — FAQ
Is John Elway #125 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Elway #125 sells for $343 against $8.09 raw: a $335 spread, 42× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.24) 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 #125 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Elway #125 (Football Cards 1992 Topps Gold) sells for about $343 versus $8.09 for a raw near-mint copy — a 42× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Elway #125?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $446, ahead of PSA 10 at $343. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Elway #125 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 #125 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Elway #125 breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.24).
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