Is Mariano Rivera #56 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2020 Topps Project 2020 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mariano Rivera #56 sells for $78.00 against $23.51 raw: a $54.49 spread, 3.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($71.08) 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)
- $23.51
- Grade 9.5
- $78.00
- PSA 9
- $71.08
- Gem premium
- 3.3×
- As of
- Sep 4, 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 | $78.00 | +$29.49 | +$4.49 | −$95.51 |
| PSA 9 | $71.08 | +$22.57 | −$2.43 | −$102 |
Net = sale price − $23.51 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% | $72.81 | −$0.70 |
| 50% | $74.54 | +$1.03 |
| 75% | $76.27 | +$2.76 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 35%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Mariano Rivera #56 — FAQ
Is Mariano Rivera #56 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mariano Rivera #56 sells for $78.00 against $23.51 raw: a $54.49 spread, 3.3× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($71.08) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Mariano Rivera #56 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Mariano Rivera #56 breaks even when it gems about 35% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $71.08).
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