Is John Elway #514 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1992 Upper Deck · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 40× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Elway #514 sells for $72.20 against $1.81 raw: a $70.39 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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)
- $1.81
- PSA 10
- $72.20
- PSA 9
- $14.99
- Gem premium
- 40×
- 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 | $72.20 | +$45.39 | +$20.39 | −$79.61 |
| PSA 9 | $14.99 | −$11.82 | −$36.82 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $8.99 | −$17.82 | −$42.82 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.81 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% | $29.29 | −$22.52 |
| 50% | $43.59 | −$8.22 |
| 75% | $57.90 | +$6.09 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 64%. 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 | $94.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $72.20 | −$21.80 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $43.00 | −$51.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $43.00 | −$51.00 | 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.
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Grading John Elway #514 — FAQ
Is John Elway #514 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Elway #514 sells for $72.20 against $1.81 raw: a $70.39 spread, 40× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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 John Elway #514 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Elway #514 (Football Cards 1992 Upper Deck) sells for about $72.20 versus $1.81 for a raw near-mint copy — a 40× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Elway #514?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $94.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $72.20. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Elway #514 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 #514 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Elway #514 breaks even when it gems about 64% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.99).
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