Is Tom Brady #1 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2018 Panini Prizm Illumination · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Tom Brady #1 sells for $99.71 against $18.85 raw: a $80.86 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.00) 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)
- $18.85
- PSA 10
- $99.71
- PSA 9
- $50.00
- Gem premium
- 5.3×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $99.71 | +$55.86 | +$30.86 | −$69.14 |
| PSA 9 | $50.00 | +$6.15 | −$18.85 | −$119 |
| PSA 8 | $18.50 | −$25.35 | −$50.35 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $18.85 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% | $62.43 | −$6.42 |
| 50% | $74.85 | +$6.00 |
| 75% | $87.28 | +$18.43 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 38%. 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 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $99.71 | −$30.29 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $88.14 | −$41.86 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $60.00 | −$70.00 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $99.71 | $60.00 | $130 | $88.14 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $55.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $50.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $18.50 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $16.50 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Tom Brady #1 — FAQ
Is Tom Brady #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tom Brady #1 sells for $99.71 against $18.85 raw: a $80.86 spread, 5.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($50.00) 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 Tom Brady #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tom Brady #1 (Football Cards 2018 Panini Prizm Illumination) sells for about $99.71 versus $18.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.3× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tom Brady #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $130, ahead of PSA 10 at $99.71. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tom Brady #1 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 Tom Brady #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tom Brady #1 breaks even when it gems about 38% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $50.00).
Is your football card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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