Is Joe Jay [Gray Back] #273 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1959 Topps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Jay [Gray Back] #273 sells for $149 against $2.50 raw: a $147 spread, 60× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($136) 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)
- $2.50
- Grade 9.5
- $149
- PSA 9
- $136
- Gem premium
- 60×
- 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 | $149 | +$122 | +$96.50 | −$3.50 |
| PSA 9 | $136 | +$108 | +$83.18 | −$16.82 |
| PSA 8 | $68.00 | +$40.50 | +$15.50 | −$84.50 |
Net = sale price − $2.50 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% | $139 | +$86.51 |
| 50% | $142 | +$89.84 |
| 75% | $146 | +$93.17 |
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 Joe Jay [Gray Back] #273 — FAQ
Is Joe Jay [Gray Back] #273 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Jay [Gray Back] #273 sells for $149 against $2.50 raw: a $147 spread, 60× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($136) 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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