Is Joe Montana #3 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1995 Fleer Aerial Attack · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Montana #3 sells for $55.00 against $2.59 raw: a $52.41 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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)
- $2.59
- Grade 9.5
- $55.00
- PSA 9
- $49.99
- Gem premium
- 21×
- 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 | $55.00 | +$27.41 | +$2.41 | −$97.59 |
| PSA 9 | $49.99 | +$22.40 | −$2.60 | −$103 |
| PSA 8 | $21.00 | −$6.59 | −$31.59 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $2.59 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% | $51.24 | −$1.35 |
| 50% | $52.50 | −$0.09 |
| 75% | $53.75 | +$1.16 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Joe Montana #3 — FAQ
Is Joe Montana #3 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Montana #3 sells for $55.00 against $2.59 raw: a $52.41 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Joe Montana #3 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Montana #3 breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.99).
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