Is Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1994 Stadium Club Bowman's Best · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 sells for $130 against $21.63 raw: a $108 spread, 6.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($70.00) 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)
- $21.63
- PSA 10
- $130
- PSA 9
- $70.00
- Gem premium
- 6.0×
- 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 | $130 | +$83.37 | +$58.37 | −$41.63 |
| PSA 9 | $70.00 | +$23.37 | −$1.63 | −$102 |
| PSA 8 | $44.33 | −$2.30 | −$27.30 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $21.63 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% | $85.00 | +$13.37 |
| 50% | $100 | +$28.37 |
| 75% | $115 | +$43.37 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $169 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $130 | −$39.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $78.00 | −$91.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $78.00 | −$91.00 | 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 Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 — FAQ
Is Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 sells for $130 against $21.63 raw: a $108 spread, 6.0× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($70.00) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 (Football Cards 1994 Stadium Club Bowman's Best) sells for about $130 versus $21.63 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.0× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $169, ahead of PSA 10 at $130. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 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 [Black Refractor] #17 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Montana [Black Refractor] #17 breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $70.00).
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