Is Sammy West #31 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1939 Play Ball · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Sammy West #31 sells for $550 against $6.79 raw: a $543 spread, 81× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($500) 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)
- $6.79
- Grade 9.5
- $550
- PSA 9
- $500
- Gem premium
- 81×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $550 | +$518 | +$493 | +$393 |
| PSA 9 | $500 | +$468 | +$443 | +$343 |
| PSA 8 | $164 | +$133 | +$108 | +$7.69 |
Net = sale price − $6.79 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% | $513 | +$456 |
| 50% | $525 | +$468 |
| 75% | $538 | +$481 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $550 |
| 9 | $500 |
| 8 | $164 |
| 7 | $69.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1939 Play Ball cards worth checking
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Grading Sammy West #31 — FAQ
Is Sammy West #31 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Sammy West #31 sells for $550 against $6.79 raw: a $543 spread, 81× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($500) 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.
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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