Is Hines Ward #198 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1998 Playoff Prestige · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Hines Ward #198 sells for $77.86 against $2.54 raw: a $75.32 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.27) 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)
- $2.54
- PSA 10
- $77.86
- PSA 9
- $17.27
- Gem premium
- 31×
- 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 | $77.86 | +$50.32 | +$25.32 | −$74.68 |
| PSA 9 | $17.27 | −$10.27 | −$35.27 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $10.80 | −$16.74 | −$41.74 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $2.54 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% | $32.42 | −$20.12 |
| 50% | $47.56 | −$4.98 |
| 75% | $62.71 | +$10.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 58%. 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 | $101 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $77.86 | −$23.14 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $47.00 | −$54.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $47.00 | −$54.00 | 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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Other 1998 Playoff Prestige cards worth checking
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![Hines Ward [Gold] #198 1998 Playoff Prestige card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/P98AAeSw9adoR~G1/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Hines Ward #198 — FAQ
Is Hines Ward #198 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Hines Ward #198 sells for $77.86 against $2.54 raw: a $75.32 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.27) 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 Hines Ward #198 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Hines Ward #198 (Football Cards 1998 Playoff Prestige) sells for about $77.86 versus $2.54 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Hines Ward #198?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $101, ahead of PSA 10 at $77.86. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Hines Ward #198 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 Hines Ward #198 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Hines Ward #198 breaks even when it gems about 58% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.27).
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