Is Willie Mays worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1952 Berk Ross · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Willie Mays sells for $4,884 against $2,209 raw: a $2,675 spread, 2.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,440) 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)
- $2,209
- Grade 9.5
- $4,884
- PSA 9
- $4,440
- Gem premium
- 2.2×
- 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 | $4,884 | +$2,650 | +$2,625 | +$2,525 |
| PSA 9 | $4,440 | +$2,206 | +$2,181 | +$2,081 |
| PSA 8 | $3,855 | +$1,621 | +$1,596 | +$1,496 |
Net = sale price − $2,209 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% | $4,551 | +$2,292 |
| 50% | $4,662 | +$2,403 |
| 75% | $4,773 | +$2,514 |
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 Willie Mays — FAQ
Is Willie Mays worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Willie Mays sells for $4,884 against $2,209 raw: a $2,675 spread, 2.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($4,440) 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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