Is Marv Grissom [Gray Back] #243 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1959 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Marv Grissom [Gray Back] #243 sells for $191 against $2.45 raw: a $189 spread, 78× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($174) 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)
- $2.45
- Grade 9.5
- $191
- PSA 9
- $174
- Gem premium
- 78×
- 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 | $191 | +$164 | +$139 | +$38.55 |
| PSA 9 | $174 | +$147 | +$122 | +$21.56 |
| PSA 8 | $34.99 | +$7.54 | −$17.46 | −$117 |
Net = sale price − $2.45 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% | $178 | +$126 |
| 50% | $183 | +$130 |
| 75% | $187 | +$134 |
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 Marv Grissom [Gray Back] #243 — FAQ
Is Marv Grissom [Gray Back] #243 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Marv Grissom [Gray Back] #243 sells for $191 against $2.45 raw: a $189 spread, 78× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($174) 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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