Is J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2011 Topps Platinum · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 3.6× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 sells for $675 against $186 raw: a $489 spread, 3.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($84.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $186
- PSA 10
- $675
- PSA 9
- $84.00
- Gem premium
- 3.6×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $675 | +$464 | +$439 | +$339 |
| PSA 9 | $84.00 | −$127 | −$152 | −$252 |
Net = sale price − $186 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% | $232 | −$4.27 |
| 50% | $379 | +$143 |
| 75% | $527 | +$291 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 26%. 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 | $877 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $675 | −$202 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $405 | −$472 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $405 | −$472 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2011 Topps Platinum cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 — FAQ
Is J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 worth grading?
A PSA 10 J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 sells for $675 against $186 raw: a $489 spread, 3.6× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($84.00) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 (Football Cards 2011 Topps Platinum) sells for about $675 versus $186 for a raw near-mint copy — a 3.6× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $877, ahead of PSA 10 at $675. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 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 J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting J.J. Watt [Gold Refractor] #86 breaks even when it gems about 26% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $84.00).
Best on iPhone & Android
Check your football card in the Midpoint app
Scan with your camera to measure centering to the millimeter, get an AI grade with corner and edge close-ups, see what your copy is worth, and track it in your portfolio. Free to start.
![Tom Brady [Gold Refractor] #70 2011 Topps Platinum card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/w90AAeSwat1pdNkc/s-l500.jpg)
