Is Willson Contreras [Black Border] #505 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2016 Topps Heritage · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Willson Contreras [Black Border] #505 sells for $109 against $4.00 raw: a $105 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.00) 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)
- $4.00
- Grade 9.5
- $109
- PSA 9
- $99.00
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $109 | +$80.00 | +$55.00 | −$45.00 |
| PSA 9 | $99.00 | +$70.00 | +$45.00 | −$55.00 |
| PSA 8 | $89.99 | +$60.99 | +$35.99 | −$64.01 |
Net = sale price − $4.00 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% | $102 | +$47.50 |
| 50% | $104 | +$50.00 |
| 75% | $107 | +$52.50 |
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 Willson Contreras [Black Border] #505 — FAQ
Is Willson Contreras [Black Border] #505 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Willson Contreras [Black Border] #505 sells for $109 against $4.00 raw: a $105 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($99.00) 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.
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