Is Sam Darnold #301 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2018 Donruss · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sam Darnold #301 sells for $57.75 against $3.43 raw: a $54.32 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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)
- $3.43
- PSA 10
- $57.75
- PSA 9
- $24.99
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $57.75 | +$29.32 | +$4.32 | −$95.68 |
| PSA 9 | $24.99 | −$3.44 | −$28.44 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $13.50 | −$14.93 | −$39.93 | −$140 |
Net = sale price − $3.43 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% | $33.18 | −$20.25 |
| 50% | $41.37 | −$12.06 |
| 75% | $49.56 | −$3.87 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 87%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $57.75 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| BGS 10 | $51.68 | −$6.07 | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| CGC 10 | $22.50 | −$35.25 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $19.50 | −$38.25 | 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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Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Sam Darnold #301 — FAQ
Is Sam Darnold #301 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sam Darnold #301 sells for $57.75 against $3.43 raw: a $54.32 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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 #301 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sam Darnold #301 (Football Cards 2018 Donruss) sells for about $57.75 versus $3.43 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sam Darnold #301?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $57.75, ahead of BGS 10 at $51.68. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sam Darnold #301 need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 #301 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sam Darnold #301 breaks even when it gems about 87% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.99).
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