Is Terrell Davis #5 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1997 Donruss Elite · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Terrell Davis #5 sell for $10.00, only $7.50 above the $2.50 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.75) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.50
- Grade 9.5
- $10.00
- PSA 9
- $8.75
- Gem premium
- 4.0×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $10.00 | −$17.50 | −$42.50 | −$143 |
| PSA 9 | $8.75 | −$18.75 | −$43.75 | −$144 |
| PSA 8 | $1.82 | −$25.68 | −$50.68 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $2.50 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% | $9.06 | −$43.44 |
| 50% | $9.38 | −$43.13 |
| 75% | $9.69 | −$42.81 |
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 Terrell Davis #5 — FAQ
Is Terrell Davis #5 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Terrell Davis #5 sell for $10.00, only $7.50 above the $2.50 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($8.75) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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