Is Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 2018 Donruss Optic · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

PSA 10 copies of Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 sell for $103, only $17.73 above the $85.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($73.39) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Raw (NM): $85.00
PSA 10: $103
PSA 9: $73.39
Gem premium: 1.2×
As of: Jul 11, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$103	−$7.27	−$32.27	−$132
PSA 9	$73.39	−$36.61	−$61.61	−$162
PSA 8	$33.07	−$76.93	−$102	−$202

Net = sale price − $85.00 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?

Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$80.73	−$54.27
50%	$88.06	−$46.94
75%	$95.39	−$39.61

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$134	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$103	−$31.27	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$62.00	−$72.00	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$62.00	−$72.00	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 →

Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$103	$62.00	$134	$62.00	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$101
9	—	—	—	—	$73.39
8	—	—	—	—	$33.07

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 2018 Donruss Optic cards worth checking

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Josh Allen [Pink] #154

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Josh Allen [Red Yellow] #154

Raw $350PSA 10 $1,000

Grading Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 — FAQ

Is Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 (Football Cards 2018 Donruss Optic) sells for about $103 versus $85.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.2× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $134, ahead of PSA 10 at $103. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Sam Darnold [Aqua] #151 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.

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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