Is Joe Montana #293 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1990 Pro Set · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 83× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Montana #293 sells for $83.73 against $1.01 raw: a $82.72 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.61) 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)
- $1.01
- PSA 10
- $83.73
- PSA 9
- $16.61
- Gem premium
- 83×
- As of
- Sep 6, 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 | $83.73 | +$57.72 | +$32.72 | −$67.28 |
| PSA 9 | $16.61 | −$9.40 | −$34.40 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $11.20 | −$14.81 | −$39.81 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $1.01 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% | $33.39 | −$17.62 |
| 50% | $50.17 | −$0.84 |
| 75% | $66.95 | +$15.94 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 51%. 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 | $93.60 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $83.73 | −$9.87 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$43.60 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$43.60 | 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 Joe Montana #293 — FAQ
Is Joe Montana #293 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana #293 sells for $83.73 against $1.01 raw: a $82.72 spread, 83× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($16.61) 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 Joe Montana #293 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana #293 (Football Cards 1990 Pro Set) sells for about $83.73 versus $1.01 for a raw near-mint copy — a 83× premium as of Sep 6, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Montana #293?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $93.60, ahead of PSA 10 at $83.73. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Montana #293 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 Joe Montana #293 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Montana #293 breaks even when it gems about 51% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $16.61).
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