Is John Elway #DT-24 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 John Elway #DT-24 brings $785 versus $410 raw — a $375 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($430) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming.
- Raw (NM)
- $410
- PSA 10
- $785
- PSA 9
- $430
- Gem premium
- 1.9×
- 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 | $785 | +$350 | +$325 | +$225 |
| PSA 9 | $430 | −$5.00 | −$30.00 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $420 | −$15.50 | −$40.50 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $410 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% | $519 | +$58.75 |
| 50% | $608 | +$148 |
| 75% | $696 | +$236 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 8%. 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 | $1,021 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $785 | −$236 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $471 | −$550 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $461 | −$560 | 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 →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Tom Brady [Black Pandora] #DT-23 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/s88AAeSwkN9qXusM/s-l500.jpg)
![Saquon Barkley [Gold] #DT-6 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UcoAAeSw1~NqeetA/s-l500.jpg)
![Trevor Lawrence [Black Pandora] #DT-33 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lLQAAeSwRido5p8X/s-l500.jpg)
Grading John Elway #DT-24 — FAQ
Is John Elway #DT-24 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Elway #DT-24 brings $785 versus $410 raw — a $375 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($430) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming.
How much is a PSA 10 John Elway #DT-24 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Elway #DT-24 (Football Cards 2021 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown) sells for about $785 versus $410 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.9× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Elway #DT-24?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $1,021, ahead of PSA 10 at $785. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Elway #DT-24 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 John Elway #DT-24 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Elway #DT-24 breaks even when it gems about 8% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $430).
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