![Sam Mele [213/ 1661 Putouts] #22 (Baseball Cards 1954 Bowman) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BFgAAeSwjapp3XDA/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Sam Mele [213/ 1661 Putouts] #22 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1954 Bowman · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Sam Mele [213/ 1661 Putouts] #22 sells for $265 against $11.64 raw: a $253 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($241) 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)
- $11.64
- Grade 9.5
- $265
- PSA 9
- $241
- Gem premium
- 23×
- 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 | $265 | +$228 | +$203 | +$103 |
| PSA 9 | $241 | +$205 | +$180 | +$79.71 |
| PSA 8 | $68.00 | +$31.36 | +$6.36 | −$93.64 |
Net = sale price − $11.64 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% | $247 | +$186 |
| 50% | $253 | +$192 |
| 75% | $259 | +$197 |
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 Sam Mele [213/ 1661 Putouts] #22 — FAQ
Is Sam Mele [213/ 1661 Putouts] #22 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Sam Mele [213/ 1661 Putouts] #22 sells for $265 against $11.64 raw: a $253 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($241) 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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