Is Walt Stickel #42 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1948 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Walt Stickel #42 sells for $1,635 against $25.00 raw: a $1,610 spread, 65× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,487) 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)
- $25.00
- Grade 9.5
- $1,635
- PSA 9
- $1,487
- Gem premium
- 65×
- 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 | $1,635 | +$1,585 | +$1,560 | +$1,460 |
| PSA 9 | $1,487 | +$1,437 | +$1,412 | +$1,312 |
| PSA 8 | $552 | +$502 | +$477 | +$377 |
Net = sale price − $25.00 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% | $1,524 | +$1,449 |
| 50% | $1,561 | +$1,486 |
| 75% | $1,598 | +$1,523 |
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 Walt Stickel #42 — FAQ
Is Walt Stickel #42 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Walt Stickel #42 sells for $1,635 against $25.00 raw: a $1,610 spread, 65× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,487) 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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