Is Justin Upton / Shohei Ohtani / Mike Trout [Vintage Stock] #US158 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2018 Topps Update · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Justin Upton / Shohei Ohtani / Mike Trout [Vintage Stock] #US158 sells for $259 against $109 raw: a $150 spread, 2.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($235) 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)
- $109
- Grade 9.5
- $259
- PSA 9
- $235
- Gem premium
- 2.4×
- 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 | $259 | +$125 | +$100 | +$0.37 |
| PSA 9 | $235 | +$101 | +$76.37 | −$23.63 |
| PSA 8 | $61.78 | −$71.85 | −$96.85 | −$197 |
Net = sale price − $109 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% | $241 | +$82.37 |
| 50% | $247 | +$88.37 |
| 75% | $253 | +$94.37 |
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 Justin Upton / Shohei Ohtani / Mike Trout [Vintage Stock] #US158 — FAQ
Is Justin Upton / Shohei Ohtani / Mike Trout [Vintage Stock] #US158 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Justin Upton / Shohei Ohtani / Mike Trout [Vintage Stock] #US158 sells for $259 against $109 raw: a $150 spread, 2.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($235) 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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