Is Mel Parnell #8 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1954 Red Man Tobacco · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Mel Parnell #8 sells for $1,386 against $7.74 raw: a $1,378 spread, 179× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,260) 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)
- $7.74
- Grade 9.5
- $1,386
- PSA 9
- $1,260
- Gem premium
- 179×
- 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 | $1,386 | +$1,353 | +$1,328 | +$1,228 |
| PSA 9 | $1,260 | +$1,227 | +$1,202 | +$1,102 |
| PSA 8 | $166 | +$134 | +$109 | +$8.74 |
Net = sale price − $7.74 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% | $1,292 | +$1,234 |
| 50% | $1,323 | +$1,265 |
| 75% | $1,355 | +$1,297 |
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 Mel Parnell #8 — FAQ
Is Mel Parnell #8 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Mel Parnell #8 sells for $1,386 against $7.74 raw: a $1,378 spread, 179× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,260) 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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