Is Elston Howard worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1961 Topps Stamps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Elston Howard sells for $74.00 against $6.07 raw: a $67.93 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.66) 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)
- $6.07
- Grade 9.5
- $74.00
- PSA 9
- $67.66
- Gem premium
- 12×
- As of
- Jul 11, 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 | $74.00 | +$42.93 | +$17.93 | −$82.07 |
| PSA 9 | $67.66 | +$36.59 | +$11.59 | −$88.41 |
| PSA 8 | $39.99 | +$8.92 | −$16.08 | −$116 |
Net = sale price − $6.07 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% | $69.25 | +$13.18 |
| 50% | $70.83 | +$14.76 |
| 75% | $72.41 | +$16.34 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $74.00 |
| 9 | $67.66 |
| 8 | $39.99 |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Elston Howard — FAQ
Is Elston Howard worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Elston Howard sells for $74.00 against $6.07 raw: a $67.93 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.66) 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.
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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