Is Mike Ditka #144 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1989 Swell Greats · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 72× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Mike Ditka #144 sells for $89.77 against $1.25 raw: a $88.52 spread, 72× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.59) 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)
- $1.25
- PSA 10
- $89.77
- PSA 9
- $19.59
- Gem premium
- 72×
- 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 | $89.77 | +$63.52 | +$38.52 | −$61.48 |
| PSA 9 | $19.59 | −$6.66 | −$31.66 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $9.23 | −$17.02 | −$42.02 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $1.25 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% | $37.13 | −$14.12 |
| 50% | $54.68 | +$3.43 |
| 75% | $72.22 | +$20.97 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 45%. 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 | $117 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $89.77 | −$27.23 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$63.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$63.00 | 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 Mike Ditka #144 — FAQ
Is Mike Ditka #144 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Mike Ditka #144 sells for $89.77 against $1.25 raw: a $88.52 spread, 72× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.59) 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 Mike Ditka #144 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Mike Ditka #144 (Football Cards 1989 Swell Greats) sells for about $89.77 versus $1.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 72× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Mike Ditka #144?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $117, ahead of PSA 10 at $89.77. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Mike Ditka #144 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 Mike Ditka #144 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mike Ditka #144 breaks even when it gems about 45% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $19.59).
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