Is Joe Montana #1 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Joe Montana #1 sells for $650 against $345 raw: a $305 spread, 1.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($403) 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)
- $345
- PSA 10
- $650
- PSA 9
- $403
- Gem premium
- 1.9×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $650 | +$280 | +$255 | +$155 |
| PSA 9 | $403 | +$32.58 | +$7.58 | −$92.42 |
| PSA 8 | $236 | −$134 | −$159 | −$259 |
Net = sale price − $345 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% | $464 | +$69.33 |
| 50% | $526 | +$131 |
| 75% | $588 | +$193 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $844 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $650 | −$195 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $525 | −$319 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $390 | −$454 | 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 →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $650 | $390 | $844 | $525 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $637 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $403 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $236 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![Earl Campbell [Black Pandora] #3 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QbAAAeSwFolqS~Sj/s-l500.jpg)
![Lawrence Taylor [Black Pandora] #10 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/P~QAAeSwflRqZ9e4/s-l500.jpg)
![Adrian Peterson [Black Pandora] #8 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/N2IAAeSw8ShqPtU-/s-l500.jpg)
![Kurt Warner [Black Pandora] #2 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3kQAAeSwJHppsNIe/s-l500.jpg)
![Deion Sanders [Gold] #5 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/q4gAAeSwhftpJRAj/s-l500.jpg)
![Earl Campbell [Gold] #3 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RooAAeSwajtpijnE/s-l500.jpg)
Grading Joe Montana #1 — FAQ
Is Joe Montana #1 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana #1 sells for $650 against $345 raw: a $305 spread, 1.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($403) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Montana #1 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Montana #1 (Football Cards 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Legends) sells for about $650 versus $345 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.9× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Montana #1?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $844, ahead of PSA 10 at $650. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Montana #1 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.
Is your football card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
Check my card free