Is John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1994 Action Packed · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 109× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 sells for $650 against $5.99 raw: a $644 spread, 109× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.51) 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)
- $5.99
- PSA 10
- $650
- PSA 9
- $16.51
- Gem premium
- 109×
- 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 | $650 | +$619 | +$594 | +$494 |
| PSA 9 | $16.51 | −$14.48 | −$39.48 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $5.99 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% | $175 | +$119 |
| 50% | $333 | +$277 |
| 75% | $492 | +$436 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 6%. 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 | $845 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $650 | −$195 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $390 | −$455 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $390 | −$455 | 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 [Gold Signature] #26 — FAQ
Is John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 sells for $650 against $5.99 raw: a $644 spread, 109× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.51) 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 [Gold Signature] #26 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 (Football Cards 1994 Action Packed) sells for about $650 versus $5.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 109× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Elway [Gold Signature] #26?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $845, ahead of PSA 10 at $650. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 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 [Gold Signature] #26 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Elway [Gold Signature] #26 breaks even when it gems about 6% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.51).
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