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 $6.20 raw: a $67.80 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)
- $6.20
- Grade 9.5
- $74.00
- PSA 9
- $67.66
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $74.00 | +$42.80 | +$17.80 | −$82.20 |
| PSA 9 | $67.66 | +$36.46 | +$11.46 | −$88.54 |
| PSA 8 | $39.99 | +$8.79 | −$16.21 | −$116 |
Net = sale price − $6.20 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 | +$13.05 |
| 50% | $70.83 | +$14.63 |
| 75% | $72.41 | +$16.21 |
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 Elston Howard — FAQ
Is Elston Howard worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Elston Howard sells for $74.00 against $6.20 raw: a $67.80 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.
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