Is Al Smith [Hand Cut] #48 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1962 Post Cereal · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Al Smith [Hand Cut] #48 sells for $76.00 against $2.93 raw: a $73.07 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.00) 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)
- $2.93
- Grade 9.5
- $76.00
- PSA 9
- $69.00
- Gem premium
- 26×
- 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 | $76.00 | +$48.07 | +$23.07 | −$76.93 |
| PSA 9 | $69.00 | +$41.07 | +$16.07 | −$83.93 |
Net = sale price − $2.93 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% | $70.75 | +$17.82 |
| 50% | $72.50 | +$19.57 |
| 75% | $74.25 | +$21.32 |
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 Al Smith [Hand Cut] #48 — FAQ
Is Al Smith [Hand Cut] #48 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Al Smith [Hand Cut] #48 sells for $76.00 against $2.93 raw: a $73.07 spread, 26× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.00) 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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