Is Joe Montana [Blue] #22 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2017 Panini Donruss Optic Aka · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Montana [Blue] #22 sells for $66.00 against $25.59 raw: a $40.41 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($59.95) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $25.59
- Grade 9.5
- $66.00
- PSA 9
- $59.95
- Gem premium
- 2.6×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $66.00 | +$15.41 | −$9.59 | −$110 |
| PSA 9 | $59.95 | +$9.36 | −$15.64 | −$116 |
Net = sale price − $25.59 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% | $61.46 | −$14.13 |
| 50% | $62.98 | −$12.61 |
| 75% | $64.49 | −$11.10 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading Joe Montana [Blue] #22 — FAQ
Is Joe Montana [Blue] #22 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Montana [Blue] #22 sells for $66.00 against $25.59 raw: a $40.41 spread, 2.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($59.95) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
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