Is Tony Dorsett #79 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2001 Topps Archives Reserve · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 25× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tony Dorsett #79 sells for $89.50 against $3.51 raw: a $85.99 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.22) 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)
- $3.51
- PSA 10
- $89.50
- PSA 9
- $21.22
- Gem premium
- 25×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $89.50 | +$60.99 | +$35.99 | −$64.01 |
| PSA 9 | $21.22 | −$7.29 | −$32.29 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $10.94 | −$17.57 | −$42.57 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $3.51 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% | $38.29 | −$15.22 |
| 50% | $55.36 | +$1.85 |
| 75% | $72.43 | +$18.92 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 47%. 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 | $116 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $89.50 | −$26.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $54.00 | −$62.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $54.00 | −$62.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $89.50 | $54.00 | $116 | $54.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $36.93 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $21.22 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $10.94 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Grading Tony Dorsett #79 — FAQ
Is Tony Dorsett #79 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tony Dorsett #79 sells for $89.50 against $3.51 raw: a $85.99 spread, 25× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($21.22) 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 Tony Dorsett #79 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tony Dorsett #79 (Football Cards 2001 Topps Archives Reserve) sells for about $89.50 versus $3.51 for a raw near-mint copy — a 25× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tony Dorsett #79?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $116, ahead of PSA 10 at $89.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tony Dorsett #79 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 Tony Dorsett #79 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tony Dorsett #79 breaks even when it gems about 47% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $21.22).
Is your football card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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