Is Lou Gehrig #5 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1963 Gad Fun Cards · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Lou Gehrig #5 sells for $65.00 against $6.82 raw: a $58.18 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($59.26) 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)
- $6.82
- Grade 9.5
- $65.00
- PSA 9
- $59.26
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- 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 | $65.00 | +$33.18 | +$8.18 | −$91.82 |
| PSA 9 | $59.26 | +$27.44 | +$2.44 | −$97.56 |
Net = sale price − $6.82 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% | $60.70 | +$3.88 |
| 50% | $62.13 | +$5.31 |
| 75% | $63.56 | +$6.74 |
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 Lou Gehrig #5 — FAQ
Is Lou Gehrig #5 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Lou Gehrig #5 sells for $65.00 against $6.82 raw: a $58.18 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($59.26) 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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