Is Derrick Thomas #94 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2001 Topps Archives Reserve · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Derrick Thomas #94 sells for $82.00 against $6.29 raw: a $75.71 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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)
- $6.29
- PSA 10
- $82.00
- PSA 9
- $17.00
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $82.00 | +$50.71 | +$25.71 | −$74.29 |
| PSA 9 | $17.00 | −$14.29 | −$39.29 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $15.76 | −$15.53 | −$40.53 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $6.29 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% | $33.25 | −$23.04 |
| 50% | $49.50 | −$6.79 |
| 75% | $65.75 | +$9.46 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 60%. 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 | $107 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $82.00 | −$25.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $49.00 | −$58.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $49.00 | −$58.00 | 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 Derrick Thomas #94 — FAQ
Is Derrick Thomas #94 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Derrick Thomas #94 sells for $82.00 against $6.29 raw: a $75.71 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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 Derrick Thomas #94 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Derrick Thomas #94 (Football Cards 2001 Topps Archives Reserve) sells for about $82.00 versus $6.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Derrick Thomas #94?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $107, ahead of PSA 10 at $82.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Derrick Thomas #94 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 Derrick Thomas #94 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Derrick Thomas #94 breaks even when it gems about 60% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.00).
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