Is Dick Butkus #17 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck Legends · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 38× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dick Butkus #17 sells for $89.28 against $2.34 raw: a $86.94 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.31) 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)
- $2.34
- PSA 10
- $89.28
- PSA 9
- $20.31
- Gem premium
- 38×
- 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 | $89.28 | +$61.94 | +$36.94 | −$63.06 |
| PSA 9 | $20.31 | −$7.03 | −$32.03 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $10.04 | −$17.30 | −$42.30 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.34 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% | $37.55 | −$14.79 |
| 50% | $54.80 | +$2.45 |
| 75% | $72.04 | +$19.70 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 46%. 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 | $116 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $89.28 | −$26.72 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$62.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$62.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $89.28 | $54.00 | $116 | $54.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $36.28 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.31 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.04 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1997 Upper Deck Legends cards worth checking
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![Ken Stabler [Autograph] #AL-166 1997 Upper Deck Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/YsoAAeSwINxqVWD-/s-l500.jpg)
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Grading Dick Butkus #17 — FAQ
Is Dick Butkus #17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dick Butkus #17 sells for $89.28 against $2.34 raw: a $86.94 spread, 38× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.31) 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 Dick Butkus #17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dick Butkus #17 (Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck Legends) sells for about $89.28 versus $2.34 for a raw near-mint copy — a 38× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dick Butkus #17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $116, ahead of PSA 10 at $89.28. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dick Butkus #17 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 Dick Butkus #17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dick Butkus #17 breaks even when it gems about 46% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.31).
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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