Is Billy Martin worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1961 Topps Stamps · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Billy Martin sells for $174 against $5.46 raw: a $169 spread, 32× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($159) 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)
- $5.46
- Grade 9.5
- $174
- PSA 9
- $159
- Gem premium
- 32×
- As of
- Sep 2, 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 | $174 | +$144 | +$119 | +$18.54 |
| PSA 9 | $159 | +$128 | +$103 | +$3.05 |
| PSA 8 | $49.00 | +$18.54 | −$6.46 | −$106 |
Net = sale price − $5.46 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% | $162 | +$107 |
| 50% | $166 | +$111 |
| 75% | $170 | +$115 |
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 Billy Martin — FAQ
Is Billy Martin worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Billy Martin sells for $174 against $5.46 raw: a $169 spread, 32× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($159) 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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