Is Houston Rockets #6 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1980 Topps Pin-Ups · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Houston Rockets #6 sells for $129 against $2.99 raw: a $126 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($118) 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)
- $2.99
- Grade 9.5
- $129
- PSA 9
- $118
- Gem premium
- 43×
- 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 | $129 | +$101 | +$76.01 | −$23.99 |
| PSA 9 | $118 | +$89.67 | +$64.67 | −$35.33 |
Net = sale price − $2.99 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% | $120 | +$67.51 |
| 50% | $123 | +$70.34 |
| 75% | $126 | +$73.17 |
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 Houston Rockets #6 — FAQ
Is Houston Rockets #6 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Houston Rockets #6 sells for $129 against $2.99 raw: a $126 spread, 43× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($118) 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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