Is Nick Barnett #229 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 2008 Topps · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of Nick Barnett #229 sell for $3.00, only $1.04 above the $1.96 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($2.41) 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): $1.96
Grade 9.5: $3.00
PSA 9: $2.41
Gem premium: 1.5×
As of: Sep 3, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Nick Barnett #229: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$3.00	−$23.96	−$48.96	−$149
PSA 9	$2.41	−$24.55	−$49.55	−$150

Net = sale price − $1.96 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?

Nick Barnett #229: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$2.56	−$49.40
50%	$2.71	−$49.26
75%	$2.85	−$49.11

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Nick Barnett #229 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$3.00
9	$2.41

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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