Is Mike Alstott #U44 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1996 Collector's Choice Update · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 45× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mike Alstott #U44 sells for $79.99 against $1.79 raw: a $78.20 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.59) 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)
- $1.79
- PSA 10
- $79.99
- PSA 9
- $18.59
- Gem premium
- 45×
- 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 | $79.99 | +$53.20 | +$28.20 | −$71.80 |
| PSA 9 | $18.59 | −$8.20 | −$33.20 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $9.12 | −$17.67 | −$42.67 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.79 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% | $33.94 | −$17.85 |
| 50% | $49.29 | −$2.50 |
| 75% | $64.64 | +$12.85 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $104 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $79.99 | −$24.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $48.00 | −$56.00 | 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 Mike Alstott #U44 — FAQ
Is Mike Alstott #U44 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mike Alstott #U44 sells for $79.99 against $1.79 raw: a $78.20 spread, 45× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.59) 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 Mike Alstott #U44 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mike Alstott #U44 (Football Cards 1996 Collector's Choice Update) sells for about $79.99 versus $1.79 for a raw near-mint copy — a 45× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mike Alstott #U44?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $104, ahead of PSA 10 at $79.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mike Alstott #U44 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 Mike Alstott #U44 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mike Alstott #U44 breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.59).
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