How Summit Score works, what it measures, and why we built it. A 5-minute read covering the formula, the inputs, and what makes a high score actually mean something.
Pulse
Stay informed. Spot the next mover.
Data-driven analysis of the sports card market — gem-rate movers, arbitrage finds, and the rookies our algorithm is watching. Plus the headlines worth knowing from across the hobby.
Biggest Raw → PSA 10 Spreads
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57
$268,537 spread ($3,513 → $272,050)
2018 Panini Prizm Luka Doncic #280 Red Shimmer Prizm
$129,650 spread ($400 → $130,050)
2013 Panini Prizm Giannis Antetokounmpo #290 Gold Prizm
$100,572 spread ($228 → $100,800)
2009 Topps Chrome Stephen Curry #101 Refractor
$96,193 spread ($9,100 → $105,293)
1996 Fleer Metal Kobe Bryant #181 Precious Metal
$75,045 spread ($57.15 → $75,103)
2023 Panini Prizm Victor Wembanyama #136 Mojo
$69,485 spread ($15,000 → $84,485)
2025 Topps Chrome Next Stop Signature Cooper Flagg #NS-CF Refractor Black
$59,219 spread ($17,016 → $76,235)
2025 Topps Chrome Next Stop Signature Cooper Flagg #NS-CF Black Refractor
$59,219 spread ($17,016 → $76,235)
2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani #1 Carrying Bag Autograph
$56,999 spread ($501 → $57,500)
1986 Fleer Sticker Michael Jordan #8
$54,191 spread ($935 → $55,126)
Highest PSA 10 Gem Rates
2025 Topps Chrome Rock Stars VJ Edgecombe #RS-18
91.2% (136 submissions)
2025 Topps Black and White Shohei Ohtani #1-SP Image Variation SP
90.8% (76 submissions)
2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Nikola Jokic #9
90.4% (115 submissions)
2025 Panini Prizm Jaxson Dart #332 Pandora
88.9% (63 submissions)
2024 Panini Prizm Black Manga LeBron James #1
88.2% (51 submissions)
2025 Panini Donruss Downtown Horizontal Joe Montana #6
88.2% (85 submissions)
2018 Topps Chrome Shohei Ohtani #150
87.0% (18,501 submissions)
2025 Panini Donruss Downtown Omarion Hampton #16
86.9% (757 submissions)
2023 Panini Select Victor Wembanyama #288 Blue
86.5% (1,007 submissions)
2024 Panini Instant Josh Allen #AW-MVP MVP
86.4% (199 submissions)
Most-Submitted Cards Right Now
2023 Panini Prizm Victor Wembanyama #136
46,900 graded (58.0% PSA 10)
2018 Panini Prizm Luka Doncic #280
39,780 graded (52.3% PSA 10)
2018 Bowman Shohei Ohtani #49
36,670 graded (39.6% PSA 10)
1988 Fleer Michael Jordan #17
31,892 graded (2.1% PSA 10)
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57
30,705 graded (1.1% PSA 10)
2018 Topps Update Shohei Ohtani #US1 Platinum
29,479 graded (56.6% PSA 10)
2018 Topps Update Shohei Ohtani #US1
29,479 graded (56.6% PSA 10)
2018 Topps Update Shohei Ohtani #US1 Printing Plate
29,479 graded (56.6% PSA 10)
2018 Topps Shohei Ohtani #700
24,434 graded (46.5% PSA 10)
1986 Fleer Sticker Michael Jordan #8
23,510 graded (0.5% PSA 10)
Featured
Editorial
Centering is the single biggest reason a PSA 10 candidate ends up a PSA 9. Here's what the L/R and T/B ratios actually measure, the math that translates them to a PSA-equivalent score, and the threshold every grader is checking.
Pop reports decide whether a card is worth grading. Here's what the numbers actually mean, where collectors get fooled, and the five lines on every report you should never skip.
Headlines
Cardlines' monthly release calendar covering the January 2026 product drops. Useful if you're tracking which set releases are coming up so you can pre-position on raw and grade-target the right rookies.
via Cardlines ↗
Baseball America's preview of the eight things shaping baseball cards in 2026 — Topps Series 1's Ohtani and Skenes coverage, the Debut Patch category, Bowman Chrome's rookie focus, and the lingering effects of MLB's licensing terms.
via Baseball America ↗
cllct's coverage of the April 1, 2026 license transfer from Panini to Topps. The first licensed Topps football product in eleven years lands later this year, with implications for how the football secondary market re-prices around legacy Panini sets.
via cllct ↗
cllct's on-the-ground recap of the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention. Lines were unprecedented, trade nights were packed, and the show confirmed the hobby's broader narrative — premium-end demand is still hot even as casual collectors feel pressured by affordability.
via cllct ↗
GemRate's monthly grading data via SI Collectibles. Cooper Flagg
via SI Collectibles ↗
Cardboard Connection's beginner-friendly walkthrough of rookie-card investment logic, with examples grounded in the 2026 rookie classes across NBA, MLB, and NFL.
via Cardboard Connection ↗
SCD's running sports-card news archive. Less polished than cllct, less editorial than Cardlines, but covers a wider beat including independent dealer news, smaller auctions, and the occasional vintage scoop.
via Sports Collectors Daily ↗
Athlon Sports' year-ahead picks. Useful as a sentiment read on which players the broader market is paying attention to — not a buy list, but a "what's the consensus narrative" reference.
via Athlon Sports ↗
Card Ladder's data on Stephen Curry's index movement — climbing from 513,613 to 736,966 in three months. Useful as a base rate when projecting how much a single player's index can move during a strong run.
via Card Ladder ↗
Cardlines on how pop reports drive market pricing. Pairs well with our own anchor article on the same topic — they take a wider market-pricing angle while we focus on the five traps that mislead first-time readers.
via Cardlines ↗
Athlon Sports' running roundup of seven-figure card sales in 2026. Useful as a sentiment indicator for the high end of the market — when seven-figure sales accelerate, midcap comps follow within a few quarters.
via Athlon Sports ↗
Yahoo Sports' analysis of Card Ladder's 2025 indices. The Basketball Index is up 29% YTD, Baseball up 17%, Pokémon up 116% last year. Basketball's run is wide — not just LeBron and Curry — which is what distinguishes it from a bubble.
via Yahoo Sports ↗
Five Card Guys' five-storyline preview for 2026 — affordability divide, MLB Debut Patch ascendancy, basketball rookie class strength, Topps NFL transition, and ongoing market consolidation. Useful as a checklist for the year.
via Five Card Guys ↗
cllct's data roundup on 2026's opening months — collectors spent over $400M online in a single month for the third straight time, per Card Ladder. Basketball and Pokémon leading the surge.
via cllct ↗
cllct's recap of the milestone Skenes Debut Patch sale and what it signals for the still-young MLB Debut Patch category. The market is treating these as the new top-of-stack rookie cards alongside Bowman Chrome 1st Auto Superfractors.
via cllct ↗
cllct's tally of total grading volume across PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC for 2025. PSA accounted for over 19M of the 26M total — meaning every other authenticator combined is less than half PSA's volume. Market consolidation is real.
via cllct ↗
Beckett's running release calendar for 2026 product drops. The canonical reference for "when is this set coming out" — and the dates drive how Summit Score's gem-rate inputs evolve over the next 12 months.
via Beckett ↗