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Troy Aikman #38 (Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck) — is it worth grading?

Is Troy Aikman #38 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck · full price guide →

Strong grading candidate — 23× premium in PSA 10

A PSA 10 Troy Aikman #38 sells for $44.99 against $1.96 raw: a $43.03 spread, 23× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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)
$1.96
PSA 10
$44.99
PSA 9
$14.99
Gem premium
23×
As of
Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Troy Aikman #38: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10$44.99+$18.03−$6.97−$107
PSA 9$14.99−$11.97−$36.97−$137
PSA 8$9.95−$17.01−$42.01−$142

Net = sale price − $1.96 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?

Troy Aikman #38: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$22.49−$29.47
50%$29.99−$21.97
75%$37.49−$14.47

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
Troy Aikman #38: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$58.00best55/4570/30
PSA 10$44.99−$13.0155/4575/25
CGC 10$27.00−$31.0055/4575/25
SGC 10$27.00−$31.0055/4575/25

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.

Troy Aikman #38 graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$44.99$27.00$58.00$27.00
9.5$16.00
9$14.99
8$9.95

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 cards worth checking

Full set checklist

Grading Troy Aikman #38 — FAQ

Is Troy Aikman #38 worth grading?

A PSA 10 Troy Aikman #38 sells for $44.99 against $1.96 raw: a $43.03 spread, 23× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.99) 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 Troy Aikman #38 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Troy Aikman #38 (Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck) sells for about $44.99 versus $1.96 for a raw near-mint copy — a 23× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Troy Aikman #38?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $58.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $44.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Troy Aikman #38 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.

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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