Is Ed Mathews #21 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1953 Johnston Cookies Braves · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Ed Mathews #21 sells for $2,583 against $76.18 raw: a $2,507 spread, 34× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,348) 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)
- $76.18
- Grade 9.5
- $2,583
- PSA 9
- $2,348
- Gem premium
- 34×
- 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 | $2,583 | +$2,482 | +$2,457 | +$2,357 |
| PSA 9 | $2,348 | +$2,247 | +$2,222 | +$2,122 |
| PSA 8 | $472 | +$371 | +$346 | +$246 |
Net = sale price − $76.18 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% | $2,407 | +$2,281 |
| 50% | $2,466 | +$2,339 |
| 75% | $2,524 | +$2,398 |
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 Ed Mathews #21 — FAQ
Is Ed Mathews #21 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Ed Mathews #21 sells for $2,583 against $76.18 raw: a $2,507 spread, 34× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,348) 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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