Is Luke Kuechly #BW-45 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2012 Topps Chrome Blue Wave Refractor · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 5.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Luke Kuechly #BW-45 sells for $240 against $45.00 raw: a $195 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($69.24) 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)
- $45.00
- PSA 10
- $240
- PSA 9
- $69.24
- Gem premium
- 5.3×
- 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 | $240 | +$170 | +$145 | +$45.00 |
| PSA 9 | $69.24 | −$0.76 | −$25.76 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $45.00 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% | $112 | +$16.93 |
| 50% | $155 | +$59.62 |
| 75% | $197 | +$102 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 15%. 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 | $312 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $240 | −$72.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $144 | −$168 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $144 | −$168 | 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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Grading Luke Kuechly #BW-45 — FAQ
Is Luke Kuechly #BW-45 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Luke Kuechly #BW-45 sells for $240 against $45.00 raw: a $195 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($69.24) 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 Luke Kuechly #BW-45 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Luke Kuechly #BW-45 (Football Cards 2012 Topps Chrome Blue Wave Refractor) sells for about $240 versus $45.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.3× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Luke Kuechly #BW-45?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $312, ahead of PSA 10 at $240. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Luke Kuechly #BW-45 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 Luke Kuechly #BW-45 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Luke Kuechly #BW-45 breaks even when it gems about 15% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $69.24).
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