Is Tommy Holmes [Hartford in Bio] #52 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1951 Topps Red Back · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Tommy Holmes [Hartford in Bio] #52 sells for $732 against $18.78 raw: a $713 spread, 39× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($665) 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)
- $18.78
- Grade 9.5
- $732
- PSA 9
- $665
- Gem premium
- 39×
- 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 | $732 | +$688 | +$663 | +$563 |
| PSA 9 | $665 | +$621 | +$596 | +$496 |
| PSA 8 | $307 | +$263 | +$238 | +$138 |
Net = sale price − $18.78 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% | $682 | +$613 |
| 50% | $699 | +$630 |
| 75% | $715 | +$646 |
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 Tommy Holmes [Hartford in Bio] #52 — FAQ
Is Tommy Holmes [Hartford in Bio] #52 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Tommy Holmes [Hartford in Bio] #52 sells for $732 against $18.78 raw: a $713 spread, 39× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($665) 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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