Is Jon Lester [Gold Refractor] #31 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2015 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Jon Lester [Gold Refractor] #31 sells for $132 against $5.92 raw: a $126 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($120) 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)
- $5.92
- Grade 9.5
- $132
- PSA 9
- $120
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 | $132 | +$101 | +$76.08 | −$23.92 |
| PSA 9 | $120 | +$89.03 | +$64.03 | −$35.97 |
Net = sale price − $5.92 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% | $123 | +$67.04 |
| 50% | $126 | +$70.05 |
| 75% | $129 | +$73.07 |
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 Jon Lester [Gold Refractor] #31 — FAQ
Is Jon Lester [Gold Refractor] #31 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Jon Lester [Gold Refractor] #31 sells for $132 against $5.92 raw: a $126 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($120) 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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