Is Joe Montana [Header Card] worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1991 Upper Deck Heroes · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 103× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Header Card] sells for $183 against $1.77 raw: a $181 spread, 103× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.95) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.77
- PSA 10
- $183
- PSA 9
- $24.95
- Gem premium
- 103×
- 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 | $183 | +$156 | +$131 | +$31.10 |
| PSA 9 | $24.95 | −$1.82 | −$26.82 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $8.00 | −$18.77 | −$43.77 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $1.77 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% | $64.43 | +$12.66 |
| 50% | $104 | +$52.14 |
| 75% | $143 | +$91.62 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 17%. 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 | $238 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $183 | −$55.13 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $110 | −$128 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $110 | −$128 | 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.
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Raw conditions & history →Swipe the table for the other grading companies →
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Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1991 Upper Deck Heroes cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Joe Montana [1981 A Star Is Born] #2 1991 Upper Deck Heroes card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WWwAAeSwNlxqTwD0/s-l500.jpg)
![Joe Namath [Checklist 10-18] #18 1991 Upper Deck Heroes card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hu8AAOSwXgVkB14d/s-l500.jpg)
![Joe Montana [1989 Back to Back] #7 1991 Upper Deck Heroes card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/U~AAAOSw1~5m0lD8/s-l500.jpg)
![Joe Montana [Heroes Checklist] #9 1991 Upper Deck Heroes card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4xgAAOSwTWBnYTyb/s-l500.jpg)
![Joe Montana [1984 Super Bowl MVP] #3 1991 Upper Deck Heroes card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/whQAAeSwfwRqW-S~/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Joe Montana [Header Card] — FAQ
Is Joe Montana [Header Card] worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Header Card] sells for $183 against $1.77 raw: a $181 spread, 103× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.95) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Montana [Header Card] worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana [Header Card] (Football Cards 1991 Upper Deck Heroes) sells for about $183 versus $1.77 for a raw near-mint copy — a 103× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Montana [Header Card]?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $238, ahead of PSA 10 at $183. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Montana [Header Card] 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 Joe Montana [Header Card] break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Montana [Header Card] breaks even when it gems about 17% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.95).
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