Is Tom Brady [Gold] #53 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2002 Upper Deck Graded · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Tom Brady [Gold] #53 sells for $1,210 against $169 raw: a $1,041 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,100) 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)
- $169
- Grade 9.5
- $1,210
- PSA 9
- $1,100
- Gem premium
- 7.2×
- 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 | $1,210 | +$1,016 | +$991 | +$891 |
| PSA 9 | $1,100 | +$906 | +$881 | +$781 |
| PSA 8 | $333 | +$139 | +$114 | +$14.06 |
Net = sale price − $169 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% | $1,128 | +$908 |
| 50% | $1,155 | +$936 |
| 75% | $1,183 | +$963 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Tom Brady [Gold] #53 — FAQ
Is Tom Brady [Gold] #53 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Tom Brady [Gold] #53 sells for $1,210 against $169 raw: a $1,041 spread, 7.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,100) 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.
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