Is Al Kaline worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1956 Yellow Basepath PM15 Pins · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Al Kaline sells for $726 against $285 raw: a $441 spread, 2.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($660) 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)
- $285
- Grade 9.5
- $726
- PSA 9
- $660
- Gem premium
- 2.5×
- 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 | $726 | +$416 | +$391 | +$291 |
| PSA 9 | $660 | +$350 | +$325 | +$225 |
Net = sale price − $285 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% | $677 | +$342 |
| 50% | $693 | +$358 |
| 75% | $710 | +$375 |
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 Al Kaline — FAQ
Is Al Kaline worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Al Kaline sells for $726 against $285 raw: a $441 spread, 2.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($660) 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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