Is Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2019 Panini Contenders Optic · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 sells for $127 against $55.00 raw: a $72.48 spread, 2.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($95.06) 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)
- $55.00
- Grade 9.5
- $127
- PSA 9
- $95.06
- Gem premium
- 2.3×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $127 | +$47.48 | +$22.48 | −$77.52 |
| PSA 9 | $95.06 | +$15.06 | −$9.94 | −$110 |
Net = sale price − $55.00 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?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $103 | −$1.83 |
| 50% | $111 | +$6.27 |
| 75% | $119 | +$14.38 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 31%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 — FAQ
Is Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 sells for $127 against $55.00 raw: a $72.48 spread, 2.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($95.06) 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 Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Pat Tillman [Orange] #1 breaks even when it gems about 31% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $95.06).
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