Is Manny Mota #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1978 Topps Zest Soap · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Manny Mota #5 sell for $36.00, only $23.94 above the $12.06 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($33.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $12.06
- Grade 9.5
- $36.00
- PSA 9
- $33.00
- Gem premium
- 3.0×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $36.00 | −$1.06 | −$26.06 | −$126 |
| PSA 9 | $33.00 | −$4.06 | −$29.06 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $30.30 | −$6.76 | −$31.76 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $12.06 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% | $33.75 | −$28.31 |
| 50% | $34.50 | −$27.56 |
| 75% | $35.25 | −$26.81 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Other 1978 Topps Zest Soap cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Manny Mota #5 — FAQ
Is Manny Mota #5 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Manny Mota #5 sell for $36.00, only $23.94 above the $12.06 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($33.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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