Is Emmitt Smith #1 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1994 Topps Finest · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 39× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #1 sells for $157 against $4.00 raw: a $153 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.50) 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)
- $4.00
- PSA 10
- $157
- PSA 9
- $19.50
- Gem premium
- 39×
- 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 | $157 | +$128 | +$103 | +$2.51 |
| PSA 9 | $19.50 | −$9.50 | −$34.50 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $17.50 | −$11.50 | −$36.50 | −$137 |
Net = sale price − $4.00 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% | $53.75 | −$0.25 |
| 50% | $88.00 | +$34.00 |
| 75% | $122 | +$68.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 25%. 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 | $203 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $157 | −$46.49 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $94.00 | −$109 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $94.00 | −$109 | 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 | $157 | $94.00 | $203 | $94.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $39.99 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $19.50 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $17.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $11.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1994 Topps Finest cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Troy Aikman [Refractor] #202 1994 Topps Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RSYAAeSwW0ZqVk1x/s-l500.jpg)
![Lawrence Taylor [Refractor] #193 1994 Topps Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HGwAAeSwzDRqVa2m/s-l500.jpg)
![Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 1994 Topps Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BDcAAeSwjYdqUHBr/s-l500.jpg)
![Joe Montana [Refractor] #172 1994 Topps Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UeAAAeSwcddqNU2K/s-l500.jpg)
![Jerry Rice [Refractor] #12 1994 Topps Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ZJ4AAeSwwHZqTtIc/s-l500.jpg)
![John Elway [Refractor] #119 1994 Topps Finest card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/S5MAAOSwiH1fdUUS/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Emmitt Smith #1 — FAQ
Is Emmitt Smith #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #1 sells for $157 against $4.00 raw: a $153 spread, 39× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.50) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith #1 (Football Cards 1994 Topps Finest) sells for about $157 versus $4.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 39× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Emmitt Smith #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $203, ahead of PSA 10 at $157. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Emmitt Smith #1 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 #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Emmitt Smith #1 breaks even when it gems about 25% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.50).
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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