Is Dick Butkus #21 worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 101× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dick Butkus #21 sells for $99.99 against $0.99 raw: a $99.00 spread, 101× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.99) 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)
- $0.99
- PSA 10
- $99.99
- PSA 9
- $12.99
- Gem premium
- 101×
- 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 | $99.99 | +$74.00 | +$49.00 | −$51.00 |
| PSA 9 | $12.99 | −$13.00 | −$38.00 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $6.93 | −$19.06 | −$44.06 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $0.99 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% | $34.74 | −$16.25 |
| 50% | $56.49 | +$5.50 |
| 75% | $78.24 | +$27.25 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.99 | −$30.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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 | $99.99 | $60.00 | $130 | $60.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $24.05 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $12.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $6.93 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Dick Butkus #21 — FAQ
Is Dick Butkus #21 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dick Butkus #21 sells for $99.99 against $0.99 raw: a $99.00 spread, 101× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.99) 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 Dick Butkus #21 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dick Butkus #21 (Football Cards 2008 Upper Deck Masterpieces) sells for about $99.99 versus $0.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 101× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dick Butkus #21?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $99.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dick Butkus #21 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 #21 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dick Butkus #21 breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.99).
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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