Is Vann McElroy #189 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1989 Panini Score · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Vann McElroy #189 sell for $21.99, only $17.30 above the $4.69 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.49) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $4.69
- PSA 10
- $21.99
- PSA 9
- $10.49
- Gem premium
- 4.7×
- 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 | $21.99 | −$7.70 | −$32.70 | −$133 |
| PSA 9 | $10.49 | −$19.20 | −$44.20 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $4.69 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% | $13.36 | −$41.33 |
| 50% | $16.24 | −$38.45 |
| 75% | $19.11 | −$35.58 |
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 →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $29.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $21.99 | −$7.01 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $13.00 | −$16.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $13.00 | −$16.00 | 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.
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Grading Vann McElroy #189 — FAQ
Is Vann McElroy #189 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Vann McElroy #189 sell for $21.99, only $17.30 above the $4.69 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.49) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Vann McElroy #189 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Vann McElroy #189 (Football Cards 1989 Panini Score) sells for about $21.99 versus $4.69 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.7× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Vann McElroy #189?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $29.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $21.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Vann McElroy #189 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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