Is John Elway [Refractor] #310 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1996 Topps Finest · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of John Elway [Refractor] #310 sell for $43.00, only $21.37 above the $21.63 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($39.09) 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)
- $21.63
- Grade 9.5
- $43.00
- PSA 9
- $39.09
- Gem premium
- 2.0×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $43.00 | −$3.63 | −$28.63 | −$129 |
| PSA 9 | $39.09 | −$7.54 | −$32.54 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $32.31 | −$14.32 | −$39.32 | −$139 |
Net = sale price − $21.63 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% | $40.07 | −$31.56 |
| 50% | $41.05 | −$30.58 |
| 75% | $42.02 | −$29.61 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading John Elway [Refractor] #310 — FAQ
Is John Elway [Refractor] #310 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of John Elway [Refractor] #310 sell for $43.00, only $21.37 above the $21.63 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($39.09) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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