Is Bill Hewitt #53 worth grading?
Football · Football Cards 1988 Swell Greats · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bill Hewitt #53 sells for $53.00 against $1.92 raw: a $51.08 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.00) 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)
- $1.92
- Grade 9.5
- $53.00
- PSA 9
- $48.00
- Gem premium
- 28×
- 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 | $53.00 | +$26.08 | +$1.08 | −$98.92 |
| PSA 9 | $48.00 | +$21.08 | −$3.92 | −$104 |
| PSA 8 | $32.37 | +$5.45 | −$19.55 | −$120 |
Net = sale price − $1.92 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% | $49.25 | −$2.67 |
| 50% | $50.50 | −$1.42 |
| 75% | $51.75 | −$0.17 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 78%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Bill Hewitt #53 — FAQ
Is Bill Hewitt #53 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bill Hewitt #53 sells for $53.00 against $1.92 raw: a $51.08 spread, 28× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.00) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Bill Hewitt #53 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Bill Hewitt #53 breaks even when it gems about 78% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $48.00).
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