Is Action Comics #1 #169 worth grading?
Entertainment · 1992 Impel DC Comics Cosmic · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
Grade 9.5 copies of Action Comics #1 #169 sell for $55.00, only $23.00 above the $32.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($49.75) 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)
- $32.00
- Grade 9.5
- $55.00
- PSA 9
- $49.75
- Gem premium
- 1.7×
- As of
- Oct 11, 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 | $55.00 | −$2.00 | −$27.00 | −$127 |
| PSA 9 | $49.75 | −$7.25 | −$32.25 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $40.00 | −$17.00 | −$42.00 | −$142 |
Net = sale price − $32.00 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% | $51.06 | −$30.94 |
| 50% | $52.38 | −$29.63 |
| 75% | $53.69 | −$28.31 |
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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Grading Action Comics #1 #169 — FAQ
Is Action Comics #1 #169 worth grading?
Grade 9.5 copies of Action Comics #1 #169 sell for $55.00, only $23.00 above the $32.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($49.75) 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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