Is Roland Hooks #404 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1981 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Roland Hooks #404 sells for $67.00 against $1.60 raw: a $65.40 spread, 42× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.75) 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)
- $1.60
- Grade 9.5
- $67.00
- PSA 9
- $60.75
- Gem premium
- 42×
- 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 | $67.00 | +$40.40 | +$15.40 | −$84.60 |
| PSA 9 | $60.75 | +$34.15 | +$9.15 | −$90.85 |
| PSA 8 | $8.28 | −$18.32 | −$43.32 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.60 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% | $62.31 | +$10.71 |
| 50% | $63.88 | +$12.27 |
| 75% | $65.44 | +$13.84 |
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 Roland Hooks #404 — FAQ
Is Roland Hooks #404 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Roland Hooks #404 sells for $67.00 against $1.60 raw: a $65.40 spread, 42× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($60.75) 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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