Is Barry Sanders #38 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1999 Panini Donruss Preferred · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Barry Sanders #38 sells for $72.29 against $1.99 raw: a $70.30 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.75) 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)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $72.29
- PSA 9
- $18.75
- Gem premium
- 36×
- 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 | $72.29 | +$45.30 | +$20.30 | −$79.70 |
| PSA 9 | $18.75 | −$8.24 | −$33.24 | −$133 |
| PSA 8 | $4.25 | −$22.74 | −$47.74 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 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% | $32.14 | −$19.85 |
| 50% | $45.52 | −$6.47 |
| 75% | $58.91 | +$6.91 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 62%. 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 | $94.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $72.29 | −$21.71 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $43.00 | −$51.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $43.00 | −$51.00 | 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 Barry Sanders #38 — FAQ
Is Barry Sanders #38 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Barry Sanders #38 sells for $72.29 against $1.99 raw: a $70.30 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.75) 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 Barry Sanders #38 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Barry Sanders #38 (Football Cards 1999 Panini Donruss Preferred) sells for about $72.29 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Barry Sanders #38?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $94.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $72.29. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Barry Sanders #38 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 Barry Sanders #38 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Barry Sanders #38 breaks even when it gems about 62% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.75).
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