Is Emmitt Smith #25 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1993 Topps Black Gold · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #25 sells for $250 against $5.25 raw: a $245 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.29) 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)
- $5.25
- PSA 10
- $250
- PSA 9
- $23.29
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $250 | +$220 | +$195 | +$95.23 |
| PSA 9 | $23.29 | −$6.96 | −$31.96 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $19.49 | −$10.76 | −$35.76 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $5.25 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% | $80.09 | +$24.84 |
| 50% | $137 | +$81.63 |
| 75% | $194 | +$138 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $326 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $250 | −$75.52 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $153 | −$173 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $150 | −$176 | 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 | $250 | $150 | $326 | $153 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $60.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $23.29 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $19.49 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $16.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1993 Topps Black Gold cards worth checking
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Grading Emmitt Smith #25 — FAQ
Is Emmitt Smith #25 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #25 sells for $250 against $5.25 raw: a $245 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($23.29) 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 #25 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #25 (Football Cards 1993 Topps Black Gold) sells for about $250 versus $5.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Emmitt Smith #25?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $326, ahead of PSA 10 at $250. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Emmitt Smith #25 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 #25 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Emmitt Smith #25 breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $23.29).
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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