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 $575 against $23.61 raw: a $551 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($523) 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
- $575
- PSA 9
- $523
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 | $575 | +$526 | +$501 | +$401 |
| PSA 9 | $523 | +$474 | +$449 | +$349 |
| PSA 8 | $476 | +$427 | +$402 | +$302 |
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% | $536 | +$462 |
| 50% | $549 | +$475 |
| 75% | $562 | +$488 |
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 | $575 |
| 9 | $523 |
| 8 | $476 |
| 7 | $287 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Bill Pierce #45 — FAQ
Is Bill Pierce #45 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bill Pierce #45 sells for $575 against $23.61 raw: a $551 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($523) 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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