Is John Brodie #81 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck Legends · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 37× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Brodie #81 sells for $97.12 against $2.62 raw: a $94.50 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.65) 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)
- $2.62
- PSA 10
- $97.12
- PSA 9
- $21.65
- Gem premium
- 37×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $97.12 | +$69.50 | +$44.50 | −$55.50 |
| PSA 9 | $21.65 | −$5.97 | −$30.97 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $10.69 | −$16.93 | −$41.93 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.62 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% | $40.52 | −$12.10 |
| 50% | $59.39 | +$6.77 |
| 75% | $78.25 | +$25.63 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $126 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $97.12 | −$28.88 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $58.00 | −$68.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $58.00 | −$68.00 | 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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Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading John Brodie #81 — FAQ
Is John Brodie #81 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Brodie #81 sells for $97.12 against $2.62 raw: a $94.50 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.65) 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 John Brodie #81 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Brodie #81 (Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck Legends) sells for about $97.12 versus $2.62 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Brodie #81?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $126, ahead of PSA 10 at $97.12. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Brodie #81 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 John Brodie #81 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Brodie #81 breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.65).
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