Ever known someone who owned a Toyota Camry? Maybe you have one yourself. It's a safe bet that 91.9% of Camry owners wish they had saved up just a bit more to splurge for, well anything else. The car is fine, and plain. Period. Of course, loyal Camry owners will go on about safety, dependability and so on. And that’s exactly how I’d describe most PSA 8 graded football cards. Good quality. Dependable. Average. Boring. Common. 
In card collecting it’s all about the search for the gems, the anti-common, the beauties that make your collection stand out. With uniqueness setting the bar, the market is driven by jersey cards, autos or any limited prints from 1/99, 1/25, 1/10 or even just 1/1. It’s all about having something that is scarce. And it must be mint!
It’s the same with those treasured rookie cards and we all know the ONLY way to have a unique one is to ensure it is in cherry condition. Anyone can go out and buy a PSA 8. But that NM-MT 8 makes that great card the Toyota Camry of your collection. And yes, it will cost you to upgrade.
But you will never regret saving up to buy a nice MINT 9 or splurge for a pristine GM MT 10. And if you're like most collectors, you're probably just a bit TOO passionate about your cards. You’ll enjoy every second that you get to spend quality time with your PSA 9... going on longs walks on the beach together... staring at those four beautifully sharp corners, and gazing at the amazing slender frame and perfect centering; and of course showing it off to your friends (or your message board cyber-friends).
Well, hopefully you aren’t peering at Tom Brady, or worse, Terry Bradshaw a bit TOO long, but you have to admit everyone gives that extra glance to a PSA9 or 10.
Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule, and in the vintage world SOME 8’s can be the crown jewel. At times a card will even skyrocket beyond its true value (basically, any super rare vintage cards or any Tim Tebow card ever printed), making the price just too steep. But for the most part, if a PSA 9 or 10 is expensive, it’s because it should be. These rules ESPECIALLY apply if you venture into buying any cards from the late 80’s or early 90’s. Really, there’s no real explanation for buying any card from that era that isn’t graded at least a 9.
Never mind that the those three letters, P-S-A, will ensure a more likely chance of an increase in value, but you’ll also be less susceptible to the bottom dropping out if the player throws 10 interceptions or decides to go for an ill advised joyride on a Harley.
Look, you won’t have any regrets when people ask you, ‘is that your Porsche?’ so why should cards be any different?
A nicely graded football card might not get you as many dates as a 944 Turbo, but unlike a Porsche, it might make you some money in the long run. So stop shopping for that Camry, and splash the cash for a GM MT 10, it’s worth it.
| 1990 Topps # 19 Ricky Sanders PSA Mint 9 #9093 | |
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$12.99 Time Remaining: 37m Buy It Now for only: $12.99 |
| 1980 Topps #256 Donnie Shell PSA 9 | |
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$17.50 Time Remaining: 38m Buy It Now for only: $17.50 |
| 1986 Topps Football PSA Lot of 5 Cards-(2) PSA 10 & (3) PSA 9!!! | |
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$19.95 Time Remaining: 46m |
| (2) 1956 Topps #114 Los Angeles Rams Team Card PSA 10 GEM MINT Pop 2 Perfect 9 | |
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$1,399.95 Time Remaining: 49m |
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| 1998 Topps Chrome John Elway Graded Refrector Card PSA MINT 9 Denver Broncos | |
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| 1995 Topps Kerry Collins #224 PSA Mint 9 P94 | |
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| 1974 Topps Football #198 Larry Hand Detroit Lions PSA 9 MINT | |
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| 1975 Topps Football #358 Pat Sullivan Atlanta Falcons PSA 9 MINT | |
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| TIM TEBOW BRONCOS 2011 TOPPS RISING ROOKIES PSA 9 MINT ! | |
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| 1990 Topps Traded #70T * Rich Gannon * PSA 9 MINT | |
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| MARK INGRAM SAINTS 2011 TOPPS PRIME PSA 9 MINT ! | |
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| DERRICK THOMAS 1989 Topps Traded RC #90T PSA 9 MINT HOF ROOKIE 20083364 | |
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| DEION SANDERS 1989 Topps Traded RC #30T PSA 9 ** MINT HOF ROOKIE ** 20634208 | |
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| JERRY RICE 1989 Topps Football Card #7 PSA 9 ** MINT HOFer ** 20997322 | |
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| MICHAEL IRVIN 1989 Topps RC #383 PSA 9 MINT HOF ROOKIE 20083341 | |
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| DEION SANDERS 1989 Topps Traded RC #30T PSA 9 ** MINT HOF ROOKIE ** 20634204 | |
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| DEION SANDERS 1989 Topps Traded RC #30T PSA 9 ** MINT HOF ROOKIE ** 20634205 | |
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| 1984 TOPPS DAN FOUTS PSA GRADED MINT 9 (NQ) CARD......H.O.F'ER & CHARGER GREAT | |
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| 1983 Topps Butch Johnson #48 PSA 9 | |
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| 1979 Topps #128 Arthur Whittington PSA 9 | |
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| 1985 Topps #361 Frank Pollard PSA 9 | |
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| 1984 Topps Bob Breunig #236 PSA 9 | |
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| 1979 Topps #482 Burgess Owens PSA 9 | |
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| 1979 Topps #332 Tony Galbreath Record Breaker PSA 9 | |
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| 1979 Topps #185 Jerry Sherk PSA 9 | |
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| 1979 Topps #438 Ken Mendenhall PSA 9 | |
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| 1979 Topps #175 Mike Thomas PSA 9 | |
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| 1985 Topps #41 Michael Downs PSA 9 | |
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| 1986 Topps LeRoy Irvin #90 PSA 9 | |
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| 1969 Topps #188 Mike Clark PSA 9 | |
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| 1969 Topps #254 Mel Renfro PSA 9 | |
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| (2) TOM BRADY 2012 12 #'d /499 Chrome PSA 9 & 6 REF Purple REFRACTOR Topps #220 | |
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| PSA 10 ANDREW LUCK 2012 TOPPS CHROME PASSING PRISM REFRACTOR ROOKIE 9/216 #1 | |
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$112.50 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h |
| 1998 Topps Gold Label Peyton Manning #20 PSA 9 Rookie Colts Class 1 | |
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| 1998 Topps Gold Label Class 1 Peyton Manning #20 PSA 9 Rookie Colts Broncos | |
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| 2012 Topps Finest Andrew Luck #110 PSA 9 Colts ROOKIE CARD | |
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| LOT OF 3 PSA 9 ANDREW LUCK 2012 TOPPS CHROME PASSING #1 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | |
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$31.00 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 2m |
| 1972 Topps BOB LILLY Dallas Cowboys RARE ALL PRO HI # 280 PSA 9 MINT HOF SP | |
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$65.99 Time Remaining: 2h 3m |
| A.J. AJ JENKINS 2012 TOPPS CHROME CAMOFLAGE REFRACTOR #/499 PSA 9 | |
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| 1975 Topps #160 KEN ANDERSON PSA 9 MINT Cincinnati BENGALS AUGUSTANA | |
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| PSA 9 DEZ BRYANT 2010 TOPPS PREMIERE AUTO AUTOGRAPH ROOKIE 51/90 #RPADB | |
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$61.00 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 41m |
| LOT OF 4 PSA 9 ANDREW LUCK 2012 TOPPS CHROME PASSING ROOKIE #1 COLTS | |
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$36.00 (17 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 44m |
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| PSA 9 PEYTON MANNING 1998 TOPPS CERTIFIED AUTO AUTOGRAPH BRONZE ROOKIE #A10 | |
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$289.69 (21 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 47m |
| 2007 Topps Wal-Mart Adrian Peterson #3 PSA 9/7*32 | |
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| PSA 9 DAVID TROUT 1984 TOPPS USFL #103 | |
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$1.29 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 55m |
| PSA 9 DOUG BEAUDOIN 1984 TOPPS USFL #119 | |
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$1.29 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 57m |
| PSA 9 HERSCHEL WALKER 1984 TOPPS USFL ROOKIE #74 | |
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$51.00 (24 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 59m |
| PSA 9 ZENON ANDRUSYSHYN 1984 TOPPS USFL #118 | |
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$1.29 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h |
| PSA 9 MINT 1984 Topps Roger Craig # 353 RC Rookie Card Great Centering | |
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| PSA 10 Gem Mint 2012 Topps Chrome Russell Wilson Camo Refractor POP 9 | |
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| 2004 Topps Chrome (Black Refractor Rookie-PSA 9) Ben Roethlisberger 03/100 #166 | |
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| 1986 Topps Team Leaders Greg Bell #383 PSA 9 Mint Bills | |
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| JAKE LOCKER 2011 TOPPS CHROME BLACK REFRACTOR ROOKIE CARD PSA 9 Titans Huskies | |
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| 2012 Andrew Luck Topps Prolific Playmakers Graded Rookie Card! PSA 9!!! | |
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$4.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 3h 56m |
| 1986 Topps Stan Brock #343 PSA 9 Mint Saints | |
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| JIMMY CLAUSEN PANTHERS 2010 TOPPS PLATINUM PSA 9 MINT | |
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| 2001 Topps Heritage Retrofractor #115 Anthony Thomas PSA 9 Mint | |
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| AJ GREEN BENGALS 2011 TOPPS RISING ROOKIES PSA 9 MINT RC WOW! | |
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| 1998 TOPPS CHROME RANDY MOSS ROOKIE REFRACTOR PSA MINT 9 | |
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$30.00 Time Remaining: 4h 39m |
| TIM TEBOW BRONCOS 2011 TOPPS RISING ROOKIES PSA 9 MINT RC WOW! | |
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| 1960 Topps BILL ANDERSON PSA 9 (OC) MINT | |
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| 1959 Topps #135 M.C. Reynolds PSA 9 MINT Cardinals Set Break Low Population 10 | |
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| 1971 Topps #58 George Butch Byrd PSA 8 NM-MT Bills Only 3 PSA 9's No 10's | |
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| 1959 Topps #163 L.G. Dupre PSA 8 NM-MT Baltimore Colts #9 Registry Set Break | |
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| 1959 Topps #171 Art Spinney PSA 8 NM-MT Baltimore Colts #9 Registry Set Break | |
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| 1971 Topps #72 Pat Matson PSA 9 MINT Bengals | |
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| 1976 Topps Football Card # 314 Rockne Freitas PSA MINT 9 | |
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| 1976 Topps Football Card # 373 Cullen Bryant PSA MINT 9 | |
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| 1976 Topps Football Card # 374 Bob Babich PSA MINT 9 | |
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| 1976 Topps Football Card # 398 Wayne Mulligan PSA MINT 9 | |
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$9.82 Time Remaining: 10h 35m Buy It Now for only: $9.82 |
| 1998 Topps Season Opener Fred Taylor RC PSA 9 Mint | |
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$2.00 Time Remaining: 11h 8m |
| 1976 Topps Football Card # 443 Mike Siani PSA MINT 9 | |
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| 1976 Topps Football Card # 497 Marvin Upshaw PSA MINT 9 | |
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$8.88 Time Remaining: 11h 18m Buy It Now for only: $8.88 |
| 2008 TOPPS CHROME TC115 BRIAN URLACHER COPPER REFRACTOR PSA 9 | |
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| 2010 TOPPS PLATINUM 41 ARMANTI EDWARDS RC BLUE REFRACTOR - AUTO PSA 9 | |
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| 1970 TOPPS FOOTBALL #229 BILLY SHAW - PSA 9 MINT!! TOUGH POP 19!! | |
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| 1968 TOPPS FOOTBALL #150 ART GRAHAM - PSA 9 MINT!! TOUGH POP 15!! | |
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| 1968 TOPPS FOOTBALL #138 KEN GRAY - PSA 9 MINT!! | |
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| 2012 TOPPS CHROME #43 TRAVIS BENJAMIN AUTOGRAPHED RC - PSA MINT 9 !!!! | |
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| 2009 Topps National Chicle JCO JARED COOK JR. AUTO RC!! PSA MINT 9 !!! | |
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| 2011 TOPPS #413 COLIN KAEPERNICK RC - PSA MINT 9!!! | |
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| 2012 TOPPS PLATINUM #138 RUSSELL WILSON X-FRACTOR RC - PSA MINT 9!!! | |
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| 2012 Topps Strata Robert Griffin III Knee Lifted #1 PSA 9 Mint | |
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| 1975 TOPPS FOOTBALL #359 JOE DeLAMIELLEURE - PSA 9 MINT!! | |
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| 1973 TOPPS #153 RON SAUL OILERS POP 9 PSA 8 F1353547 | |
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| 1973 TOPPS #494 CECIL TURNER BEARS PSA 9 F1353533 | |
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| 2008 TOPPS CHROME TC170 JOE FLACCO RC REFRACTOR PSA 9 | |
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| 1976 Topps #68 Charley Johnson ~ PSA 9 5987 | |
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