$Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 (Football Cards 1994 Topps Finest) — is it worth grading?$

Is Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 1994 Topps Finest · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 sells for $3,600 against $178 raw: a $3,422 spread, 20× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($575) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

Raw (NM): $178
PSA 10: $3,600
PSA 9: $575
Gem premium: 20×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$3,600	+$3,397	+$3,372	+$3,272
PSA 9	$575	+$372	+$347	+$247
PSA 8	$260	+$56.51	+$31.51	−$68.49

Net = sale price − $178 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?

Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$1,331	+$1,103
50%	$2,088	+$1,859
75%	$2,844	+$2,615

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$4,680	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$3,600	−$1,080	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$2,160	−$2,520	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$2,160	−$2,520	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 →

Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$3,600	$2,160	$4,680	$2,160	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$1,627
9	—	—	—	—	$575
8	—	—	—	—	$260
7	—	—	—	—	$159

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1994 Topps Finest cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

$Lawrence Taylor [Refractor] #193 1994 Topps Finest card$

Lawrence Taylor [Refractor] #193

Raw $71.47PSA 10 $2,398

$Troy Aikman [Refractor] #202 1994 Topps Finest card$

Troy Aikman [Refractor] #202

Raw $54.57PSA 10 $1,790

$Joe Montana [Refractor] #172 1994 Topps Finest card$

Joe Montana [Refractor] #172

Raw $132PSA 10 $2,811

$John Elway [Refractor] #119 1994 Topps Finest card$

John Elway [Refractor] #119

Raw $148PSA 10 $2,915

$Deion Sanders [Refractor] #206 1994 Topps Finest card$

Deion Sanders [Refractor] #206

Raw $83.25PSA 10 $1,503

$Dan Marino [Refractor] #142 1994 Topps Finest card$

Dan Marino [Refractor] #142

Raw $126PSA 10 $1,729

Grading Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 — FAQ

Is Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1 (Football Cards 1994 Topps Finest) sells for about $3,600 versus $178 for a raw near-mint copy — a 20× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #1?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $4,680, ahead of PSA 10 at $3,600. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Emmitt Smith [Refractor] #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.

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