Is Sam Darnold #RTS-3 worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 9.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sam Darnold #RTS-3 sells for $83.75 against $8.80 raw: a $74.95 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.00) 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)
- $8.80
- PSA 10
- $83.75
- PSA 9
- $29.00
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- 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 | $83.75 | +$49.95 | +$24.95 | −$75.05 |
| PSA 9 | $29.00 | −$4.80 | −$29.80 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $25.91 | −$7.89 | −$32.89 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $8.80 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% | $42.69 | −$16.11 |
| 50% | $56.38 | −$2.42 |
| 75% | $70.06 | +$11.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $109 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $83.75 | −$25.25 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $50.00 | −$59.00 | 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 | $83.75 | $50.00 | $109 | $50.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $33.20 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $29.00 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $25.91 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Sam Darnold #RTS-3 — FAQ
Is Sam Darnold #RTS-3 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sam Darnold #RTS-3 sells for $83.75 against $8.80 raw: a $74.95 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($29.00) 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 Sam Darnold #RTS-3 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sam Darnold #RTS-3 (Football Cards 2018 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Swatches) sells for about $83.75 versus $8.80 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.5× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sam Darnold #RTS-3?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $109, ahead of PSA 10 at $83.75. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sam Darnold #RTS-3 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 Sam Darnold #RTS-3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sam Darnold #RTS-3 breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $29.00).
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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