Is Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2022 Panini Absolute Explosive · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A Grade 9.5 Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 brings $805 versus $440 raw — a $365 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($304) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
- Raw (NM)
- $440
- Grade 9.5
- $805
- PSA 9
- $304
- Gem premium
- 1.8×
- 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 | $805 | +$340 | +$315 | +$215 |
| PSA 9 | $304 | −$161 | −$186 | −$286 |
Net = sale price − $440 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% | $429 | −$60.93 |
| 50% | $554 | +$64.38 |
| 75% | $680 | +$190 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 37%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGC 10 | $359 | best | 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 →Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 — FAQ
Is Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 brings $805 versus $440 raw — a $365 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($304) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
What centering does Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 need for a SGC 10?
SGC publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner [Gold] #E40 breaks even when it gems about 37% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $304).
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