Is Bill Pierce #45 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Blue Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bill Pierce #45 sells for $574 against $23.61 raw: a $550 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($522) 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)
- $23.61
- Grade 9.5
- $574
- PSA 9
- $522
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 | $574 | +$525 | +$500 | +$400 |
| PSA 9 | $522 | +$473 | +$448 | +$348 |
| PSA 8 | $475 | +$426 | +$401 | +$301 |
Net = sale price − $23.61 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% | $535 | +$461 |
| 50% | $548 | +$474 |
| 75% | $561 | +$487 |
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 Bill Pierce #45 — FAQ
Is Bill Pierce #45 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bill Pierce #45 sells for $574 against $23.61 raw: a $550 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($522) 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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