Is Phillip Merling #TC241 worth grading?

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Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of Phillip Merling #TC241 sell for $6.00, only $4.28 above the $1.72 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($5.88) 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): $1.72
Grade 9.5: $6.00
PSA 9: $5.88
Gem premium: 3.5×
As of: Sep 3, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Phillip Merling #TC241: 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	$6.00	−$20.72	−$45.72	−$146
PSA 9	$5.88	−$20.84	−$45.84	−$146

Net = sale price − $1.72 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?

Phillip Merling #TC241: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$5.91	−$45.81
50%	$5.94	−$45.78
75%	$5.97	−$45.75

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 →

Phillip Merling #TC241 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$6.00
9	$5.88

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

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