Is Henry Aaron #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1954 Johnston Cookies Braves · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Henry Aaron #5 sells for $38,495 against $6,250 raw: a $32,245 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34,995) 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)
- $6,250
- Grade 9.5
- $38,495
- PSA 9
- $34,995
- Gem premium
- 6.2×
- As of
- Sep 3, 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 | $38,495 | +$32,220 | +$32,195 | +$32,095 |
| PSA 9 | $34,995 | +$28,720 | +$28,695 | +$28,595 |
| PSA 8 | $14,000 | +$7,725 | +$7,700 | +$7,600 |
Net = sale price − $6,250 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% | $35,870 | +$29,570 |
| 50% | $36,745 | +$30,445 |
| 75% | $37,620 | +$31,320 |
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 Henry Aaron #5 — FAQ
Is Henry Aaron #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Henry Aaron #5 sells for $38,495 against $6,250 raw: a $32,245 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34,995) 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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