Is Bill Ripken [White Out Vulgarity] #616 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1989 Fleer · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bill Ripken [White Out Vulgarity] #616 sells for $2,750 against $246 raw: a $2,505 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,500) 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)
- $246
- Grade 9.5
- $2,750
- PSA 9
- $2,500
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 — Grade 9.5 | $2,750 | +$2,480 | +$2,455 | +$2,355 |
| PSA 9 | $2,500 | +$2,230 | +$2,205 | +$2,105 |
| PSA 8 | $1,525 | +$1,255 | +$1,230 | +$1,130 |
Net = sale price − $246 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% | $2,563 | +$2,267 |
| 50% | $2,625 | +$2,330 |
| 75% | $2,688 | +$2,392 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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Grading Bill Ripken [White Out Vulgarity] #616 — FAQ
Is Bill Ripken [White Out Vulgarity] #616 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bill Ripken [White Out Vulgarity] #616 sells for $2,750 against $246 raw: a $2,505 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,500) 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.
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