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Dead TED [Glossy] #5a (1985 Garbage Pail Kids) — is it worth grading?

Is Dead TED [Glossy] #5a worth grading?

Garbage Pail Kids · 1985 Garbage Pail Kids · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Dead TED [Glossy] #5a sells for $5,276 against $19.95 raw: a $5,256 spread, 264× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($276) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

Raw (NM)
$19.95
PSA 10
$5,276
PSA 9
$276
Gem premium
264×
As of
Oct 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Dead TED [Glossy] #5a: 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$5,276+$5,231+$5,206+$5,106
PSA 9$276+$231+$206+$106
PSA 8$103+$58.27+$33.27−$66.73

Net = sale price − $19.95 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?

Dead TED [Glossy] #5a: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$1,526+$1,456
50%$2,776+$2,706
75%$4,026+$3,956

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →
Dead TED [Glossy] #5a: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader10 sells forvs bestFront centering for a 10Back
BGS 10$6,858best55/4570/30
PSA 10$5,276−$1,58355/4575/25
CGC 10$3,165−$3,69355/4575/25
SGC 10$3,165−$3,69355/4575/25

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.

Dead TED [Glossy] #5a graded prices by company and grade
GradePSACGCBGSSGCGraded
10$5,276$3,165$6,858$3,165—
9.5————$303
9————$276
8————$103
7————$51.96

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1985 Garbage Pail Kids cards worth checking

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Grading Dead TED [Glossy] #5a — FAQ

Is Dead TED [Glossy] #5a worth grading?

A PSA 10 Dead TED [Glossy] #5a sells for $5,276 against $19.95 raw: a $5,256 spread, 264× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($276) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

How much is a PSA 10 Dead TED [Glossy] #5a worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Dead TED [Glossy] #5a (1985 Garbage Pail Kids) sells for about $5,276 versus $19.95 for a raw near-mint copy — a 264× premium as of Oct 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Dead TED [Glossy] #5a?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $6,858, ahead of PSA 10 at $5,276. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Dead TED [Glossy] #5a 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.

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