[MattyC]

Hope all this helps, in the absence of any hard current elite 5 sale...

If we are talking about a really elite hypothetical PSA 5, one is not finding a dead centered PSA 5 for anywhere near 30k. I'd say more like 40-50k. The premium when the card is dead centered versus "normal" examples is quite significant. The LOTG example at 31k is a good touchstone, as one with much better centering would easily run it to 40k, then it's up to which collectors want to slug it out at the auction.

That gorgeous PSA 3 that was dead centered recently went for 23 or was it 25k? A board member here has that beauty. That data point is really relevant to exploring the premium for dead centering, as that is a 3 right there that is flirting with 30k territory, or about 10k+ more than the average 3, or more impressively viewed as a near 100% premium for that rare attribute over an "average" looking 3.

Anecdotally, I bought and then sold an SGC 5 last year, and each transaction was well over 30k. I bought from and also sold to board members here.

A PSA 4.5 that was dead centered via PWCC last year commanded some 33k I believe. A fellow board member here won that one.

My own 4.5 cost me 36.4k at Goodwin. I can divulge that one board member here and one across the street at PSA forums offered me significantly more.

A dead centered 6 sold for 75k a few months ago, via a major dealer to a fellow board member.

I process all these relevant data points along with "B+" eye appeal grade 6s commanding 60k-ish, and ballpark the elite 5s at 45k. Given the above, I can't see the owner of an elite 5 settling for anywhere near what lower grades have sold for. It's ultimately a seller's card, so it kind of all depends who is bidding at auction, or who wants one when a premium one is floated privately. It also depends on whether the card seems to have upside to reviewers, crack-resubbers, and yes, even doctors. I wouldn't be surprised if someone sold a dead centered 5 for 60k, given the owner can just tell any prospective buyer, "Hey, go wait for a dead centered 6 or 7 to show up, and see what you can buy it for." If I am the prospective buyer, I know that the seller is right-- if I want a 6 with the same centering, I am paying 75k-ish. So the 5 that looks great to me, for much less than what the next grade up would cost me, suddenly looks like the move.