Is Bob Lemon #8 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1955 Red Man Tobacco · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Bob Lemon #8 sells for $2,805 against $17.00 raw: a $2,788 spread, 165× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,550) 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)
- $17.00
- Grade 9.5
- $2,805
- PSA 9
- $2,550
- Gem premium
- 165×
- 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 | $2,805 | +$2,763 | +$2,738 | +$2,638 |
| PSA 9 | $2,550 | +$2,508 | +$2,483 | +$2,383 |
| PSA 8 | $930 | +$888 | +$863 | +$763 |
Net = sale price − $17.00 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% | $2,614 | +$2,547 |
| 50% | $2,678 | +$2,611 |
| 75% | $2,741 | +$2,674 |
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 Bob Lemon #8 — FAQ
Is Bob Lemon #8 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Bob Lemon #8 sells for $2,805 against $17.00 raw: a $2,788 spread, 165× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($2,550) 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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