Is Marcus Allen #52 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1996 SP · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Marcus Allen #52 sell for $20.50, only $19.64 above the $0.86 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.25) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.86
- PSA 10
- $20.50
- PSA 9
- $3.25
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 | $20.50 | −$5.36 | −$30.36 | −$130 |
| PSA 9 | $3.25 | −$22.61 | −$47.61 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $0.86 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% | $7.56 | −$43.30 |
| 50% | $11.88 | −$38.98 |
| 75% | $16.19 | −$34.67 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $27.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $20.50 | −$6.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $12.00 | −$15.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $12.00 | −$15.00 | 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 Marcus Allen #52 — FAQ
Is Marcus Allen #52 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Marcus Allen #52 sell for $20.50, only $19.64 above the $0.86 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.25) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Marcus Allen #52 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Marcus Allen #52 (Football Cards 1996 SP) sells for about $20.50 versus $0.86 for a raw near-mint copy — a 24× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Marcus Allen #52?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $27.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $20.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Marcus Allen #52 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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